Just the Way You Are
by Egratia
Summary: Jake's got his eye on Bella (he has forever) but Bella has her eye on her lab partner. Can Jake help her see that he loves her just the way she is unlike Edward who wants to make her into his version of Isabella? All human A/U. Stephenie Meyer built the playground where I now play. Thanks, SM.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I was in the middle of two incomplete stories and this one popped into my head. I don't know. I still haven't finished the other two, but this one is ready to post.**

 **I'm trying to keep the chapters around 1000 words each, though some creep a little higher. It's just a little experiment I'm doing. Let me know what you think.**

 **I love reviews and constructive criticism. My purpose for writing fanfic is to develp myself as a writer so I'm always open to your thoughts. And, they make me feel better as a person if I'm being honest with myself. Though I know that I should allow my self-worth to rest on whether or not people leave reviews on my silly little stories.**

 **I'll shut up now. MarinaNamaste is my beta and friend. I give her thanks and praise for all her help.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

Jacob was my best friend. I could tell him anything right? I had to get his advice. He could help me unravel the mysteries of the male mind. I needed the help because I was crap at flirting.

"Come on, Jake. I'm serious," I said. "How do you know when someone likes you? Like, how do I show my interest without looking like a crazy stalker like all the other girls who drool after him?" He just looked at me, contemplating me for a few moments.

"What's so great about this guy, anyway?" he finally asked, setting down his sixth slice of pizza that he'd just inhaled half of in one bite.

"I don't know," I replied. Edward set all the butterflies in my gut in my gut loose. I knew that. But, I didn't know why. "I caught him looking at me one day and he's been on my mind ever since." I sucked my bottom lip in between my teeth while I thought about why. "He's quiet and smart. He's my lab partner, you know, in biology? And he doesn't gawk at me like Mike or Eric. I don't feel like, just a piece of ass around him. You know?"

"Yeah, I actually get that," Jake sighed. He'd been complaining about all the girls who threw themselves at him. And some older women, too. It didn't help that he was sort of beautiful. He was actually a beautiful Adonis of chiseled manhood. I could see why the girls drooled over him.

"So, he, like, considers me and the things I say. We have this project to do in Biology and he, like, totally listens to my ideas and makes them into something better." Jake nodded again, like he knew exactly what I was talking about.

"So it sounds like you're doing what you need to do," he said, shoving the rest of the slice into his mouth and chewing a few times before he swallowed. "Just keep being you, and if he doesn't go for that, then he's an idiot and you don't want him anyway." I giggled a little. Jake always gave me little compliments like that. It's like he felt the need to boost my self-esteem all the time. He was such a good friend.

"Okay. So I'm not being too aloof? Not too pushy?" I asked for clarification.

"I don't think so," he said, frowning a little.

"What?" I asked. I didn't like a frown marring the spot where his sunny smile should be shining.

"What, what?" Jake asked.

"You look upset," I answered, reaching for my soda and taking a deep swig. I let out a huge burp that sounded like it never could have come from someone with my small frame. "Excuse me," I chirped. I knew it amused him.

"It's nothing, Bells," he smiled at me and then pulled me into tight hug. "I gotta go," his voice was tight. He was lying to me.

"Jake, what is it?" I asked. His brow furrowed and he shook his head before he answered.

"It's just Billy. I gotta get home to him. Sometimes I just get tired of being the only one he has," he sighed. I really hated his sisters sometimes. But I didn't dare verbalize those feelings to him.

"Okay." I reluctantly let him pull away and I pouted a little. "Maybe I'll come over tomorrow if Edward doesn't want to work on the project."

"Fine," he said, packing up his school bag. He really was bothered.

"Text me when you get back from your run so I know you're safe," I said. I knew he just needed to run. It's how he blew off steam. He'd put Billy to bed and go run a few miles before he turned in. He grinned because I knew without him saying anything.

"Sure. Sure."

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 **A/N: Yeah Bella is clueless and will be for a while.**

 **Tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for the warm reception. Thanks to MarninaNamaste who is my friend and beta. Hope our little hottie's ex put on a good concert. :)  
**

 **You know it will get worse before it gets better, right? You know that, right?**

 **Here's chapter two.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"What the fuck, dude? You gave her advice?" Quil was incredulous. "On how to get with someone else?"

"No," I snapped. "I just told Bella to be herself. That's not advice-she just needs to…be." My phone still taunted me with her giddy text about Edward asking her to the school dance. I swiped my thumb across the screen the turn the damn thing off.

"That worked on you, why would you let that work on someone else? You should have told her all the things that you hate about girls and women. Then she would have sent him running," Embry suggested. "Dumbshit."

"Yeah, because that would have been subtle. I'll take care not to take dating advice from you. You've never even been on a date," I fired back. "Asshole."

"Yes, subtly is working so well for you," Quil returned. "You're not allowed count your make out sessions with Susan Tallgrass as dating, either." He pointed an accusing finger at me. I didn't know why the hell not. They'd been a steady occurrence for almost six months and very educational. She put an end to them when she fell for Paul Lahote who never looked twice at her after he fucked her once at a party. Didn't matter to me, though. That was right after Bella'd moved back to Charlie's.

"What about Leah Clearwater?" I smirked. That had happened quite unexpectedly last weekend at the rez bonfire. She was totally blitzed and practically attacked me coming out of the bathroom.

"Wait, what?" Quil asked, his head turning so fast I was sure he'd get whiplash.

"That was totally a rebound since Sam dumped her. She was in _the mood_ , if you know what I mean," Embry drawled.

"I don't know what you mean," Quil replied. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"He totally made out with Leah," Embry clarified to Quil, his smirking eyes never left mine. "Sam's totally gonna kick your ass if ever finds out," he added.

"Where was I?" Quil asked.

"Drooling over Chepi and probably jacking off behind the driftwood," I chortled.

"Fuck you!" Quil answered, though he looked a little sheepish. He'd totally slapped the sausage.

"And I did more than just make out with her," I added. "She was feeling fine and fulfilled when I got done with her. Sam has no right after dumping Leah for her cousin."

"Did you fuck her?" Quil's mouth hung open in awe.

"I let my fingers do the walking," I bragged, not admitting or denying anything. "She needed something. I just helped out a friend." We hadn't fucked, but she gave great head after I had her panting like a dog through a double finger-fuck orgasm.

"So why don't you help out Bella like that?" Embry smirked. Prick.

"Because that's not how I see Bella, asshole. I don't want to just get her off."

"I know what you want," Embry said. "And that Edward's gonna give her what you gave Leah." Before I knew it I was across the room and my hand was around Embry's throat while he lay flat on his back.

"You better knock that shit off, Call," I hissed through clenched teeth, kneeling on his chest. "It's bad enough she's going to a dance with the fucker, but it's a real date. The asshole actually does like her." Embry wasn't angry about my outburst, he was rather pleased he'd gotten under my skin. He shifted under my weight and laughed at my distress.

"So what are you going to do about it? Are you finally going to grow a pair and make a move on her?" he choked out from under my grip.

"Jake, you're gonna hurt him," Quil whined, looking worried.

"Good," I said pushing down on him and causing his head to bang against the floor. I kneeled into his gut to get into a standing position. He grunted and sucked in some air.

"You're just a bit too touchy," Embry said, smirking and sitting up while rubbing his neck. He was one smug mother fucker. "How is it fair that you can get Leah Clearwater off one weekend and be upset that Bella has a date for the next? You're a hypocrite."

I knew it. But it's not like I was sleeping with Leah...or anyone. That I was saving for someone else. And he knew it.

"And you're an asshole."

* * *

 **Tell me Jake didn't lose y'all's sympathy.**

 **Tell me what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Jake hadn't texted me back and I was a little worried. I'd had a wonderful study session with Edward, who was simply breathtakingly gorgeous, and he totally asked me to the school dance. I was so excited after I said yes, that I hoped I hadn't squealed. I excused myself to go to the bathroom so I could text Jake. I knew he was just hanging with Embry and Quil, so I didn't know why I was experiencing digital silence. It'd been almost thirty minutes for pity heaven's sake. It never took him that long to text me back.

I'd gone back to the Cullen's _formal_ dining room—their place was, like, HUGE—and taken my seat again next to Edward where we finished planning our project. I don't think I imagined it, but the chairs were, like, closer together. My heart thudded in my chest every time he moved.

"So, I think we've got a great start here," Edward said, his lip pulling up in, like, the sexiest half smile I'd ever seen. We sat side by side at his mother's gorgeous, and huge, dining room table. The way he was looking at me, I knew he meant more than just our project.

"I think we do," I returned, gazing up through my eyelashes hoping it came across as sexy as I intended.

"Good," he inched a little closer to me, "it's been a long time since I found an assignment so interesting. This can go in a couple of directions, and all of them good." I mirrored his movement to see how he reacted. I wanted to make sure I wasn't, like, totally imagining things.

"That is exactly what I think," I said, but totally lost my breath when I felt this side of his thigh press against mine. He took my breath away and my thigh, with like, no direction or permission from my brain, rubbed up and down alongside his. I was flirting. Apparently, I was good at it, too. I saw him inhale shakily.

He turned more towards me and his hand totally brushed my breast, sending a delicious shiver down my spine, before he reached my face where his thumb swiped across my bottom lip. I wasn't sure if the boob graze was intentional or not, but I so didn't have room in my brain to even consider it. His eyes were focused on my lips as his face inched closer and closer to mine.

He was so going to kiss me!

I was totally about to get my first kiss and my mind went into complete hyper drive. Like, what should I do when his lips reach mine? What do I do with my hands? Should I, like, close my eyes? His weren't closed, they were still looking at my lips. I looked down at his lips and they were slightly parted. Shit! What if he tried to French kiss me? I totally didn't know what to do with my tongue? Shit! Why hadn't I asked Jake about this? I didn't think he knew much more than I did, but he'd have some idea, right?

"Bella," my name slipped out of his mouth and he sweet breath whispered across my cheek. How was it so minty? That got me totally thinking. What had I eaten for dinner? Did I smell like onions? Crap! No, I chewed a stick of gum and chewed three Mentos on the way to his house. How did I smell to him?

I felt his bottom lip gently bump against mine and then suddenly stop as the swinging kitchen door swung open and totally hit the back wall.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," a deep voice boomed through the room. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I heard Edward cuss under his breath, "but I had to come and meet this girl Eddie is always talking about." A big, and I mean like _huge_ , sandy-blonde man stood in front of us across the table. His muscles rippled under his fitted sweater and his shit-eating grin made it impossible to be too angry with him. I looked over at Edward and decided that he so didn't like the grin as much as I did. Edward's face was an interesting mix of anger and embarrassment.

"You _are_ interrupting," Edward said through gritted teeth. "We're trying to do some homework. Can you just get lost, please?"

"Homework? Is that what you crazy kids are calling it these days?" The man smirked and a deep dimple dented his face. "Looks like you're not getting very far."

"Emmett, please," Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, "will you get the hell out of here?"

"Now, Edward, that's just rude. Aren't you going to introduce me?" He smiled and I could swear I saw his tooth sparkle. He looked like a model.

"No," Edward deadpanned. I smiled at the idea that Edward was, like, that angry that our kiss had been interrupted. I dropped my hand to his thigh to try to sooth him. It was totally audacious and I never would have considered doing such a thing if I hadn't just been about to lock lips with him, like, two minutes earlier.

"Come on, Edward. He'll just keep braying like an ass until you do," I said summoning some snarky courage from somewhere. I liked this Emmett guy and he seemed to like my retort.

"Woah-ho, Edward. She's a feisty filly! I like this one. Don't scare this one off," he laughed heartily at his own joke.

"Hello, Emmett, is it?" I asked trying to stand and extend my hand. Edward's arm snaked around my waist and pulled me back. I was a bit surprised, but he left his arm there and my body, like, _really_ liked that.

"Yes, little Filly, I'm Edward's older, smarter, and better looking brother who actually has a sense of humor. And you're Bella?" He didn't try to shake my hand, noticing Edward's possessive grip on my frame.

"Yes," I smiled. "How did you—"

"Edward's been talking about how smart you are for weeks, haven't you Eddie? You're, apparently, his savior in Biology." I didn't miss the wink he threw to Edward. It seemed to make him angrier.

"How many times have I asked you—" Edward began.

Emmett finished with him in a sing song voice, "—to not call me Eddie!"

"I know, I know. It's just too much fun." He smiled clapping his huge hands together. "Well, Bella. I better go before he has a coronary… or tattles on me." He covered his mouth like he was telling a secret and in a loud whisper he added, "he's totally a momma's boy and she'll give me grief." He rolled his eyes and laughed again. "Nice to meet you!" he waved and disappeared through the door which swung closed behind him.

"I'm so sorry about him. I'm just," Edward stammered and the tips of his ears had turned pink. I'd never seen him so, like, flustered.

"It's okay. I thought he was funny. He didn't mean anything by it, I'm sure." I looked down into my lap where my phone was buzzing. I swiped the screen to read the message.

"Your dad?" he asked peeking over my shoulder.

"Yeah," I sighed, "he worries." I smiled up at him hoping to capture the same feeling that was in the room before Emmett totally barged in. I wondered if Edward felt as disappointed as I did. I looked back at his lips…hoping.

"Again, I'm so sorry about my step-brother." He leaned in closer and the butterfly storm started in my belly again.

"I am not your step-brother!" Emmett called from the other room and Edward pulled back again. "I am your half-brother. We share a father and blood." He laughed again like it was an insult. From the look on Edward's face, it was. But that, like, totally killed the mood. I knew he wasn't going to try to kiss me again, with Emmett listening in.

"I should probably get going," I said, packing up my bag. He walked me to the front door and helped me put on my jacket.

"I'll walk you out," he offered.

"No kissing out there, either!" Emmett called and snickered again.

"Oh, good lord," Edward mumbled, shutting the door behind us. He opened my car door for me. It was so sweet.

"Don't let him get to you, Edward. We'll pick this up where we left off at my house tomorrow. We can work on our project over there and Charlie won't be home until after six." His lip pulled up in that half smile again and I had to get into my car before I fell over. The tips of his ears went pink again.

"Okay, then." He shut my truck door and I rolled down the window.

"What color is your dress?" he asked, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. My smile faltered momentarily. I didn't have a dress yet. Crap.

"Cornflower blue," I lied. When was I going to get a dress? The dance was in, like, four days and I'd just made a study date with him tomorrow. I totally had to get home and call Jake.

"My favorite color," he beamed. I'd been oddly specific. I hoped I could find a dress that color that looked good on me. "Until tomorrow, then."

He reached out and cupped my cheek again. I thought he was going to pull me in for a short kiss until he heard Emmett yell "Wooo-hooo!" from the house. I laughed and he half-heartedly smiled.

"Tomorrow."

Tomorrow, indeed.

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 **A/N: Emmett is so much fun to write.  
So, what'd ya think?**

 **Thanks MarinaNamaste. You're the best.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I didn't know why I tortured myself like I did. Thinking about Bella's retelling of her first kiss—she was so excited. I was supposed to be a participant in that life event of hers. Instead, I had to hear how some fuckin' rich guy was sucking my Bella's face. I crushed the soda can in my palm and chucked it towards the trash can. It clanged off the back wall before it found its mark. A single line of brown liquid dribbled down the plaster.

Why was I always waiting for Bella? I looked down at my buzzing phone and smiled.

 _Wt r u doin?_

Leah'd started texting me a few days ago. I knew she was lonely. I'd texted back. She was funny in a crude way. It was like hanging with the guys, but I knew she was _all_ girl.

 _waiting for bella. shes comin over for a movie. y? wanna join is ;)_

I didn't know how she'd take that. I was interested to see, though.

 _fuck no! but im gonna bug the hell outta u all nite_

Shit. I grinned at my phone. Leah was fucking hilarious. I knew I was her outlet for whatever it was she was feeling, but I liked that I could make her forget about things for a while. Even if it was only through texting…or other stuff.

 _i can turn off my fone u no_

I'd threatened that before. I heard Bella's truck heading up my gravel driveway.

 _but u wont_

I smiled again before tucking my phone back into my pocket. I heard the door to the truck slam shut. I didn't get up; I was past waiting for Bella by the front door. I was going to let her come into me now.

Bella knocked on the door and I yelled for her to come in. I was flipping through the channels trying to see if anything good was on. We were supposed to watch _The Babadook_ , but I wanted to find something else.

"Hey," she said with a weird look on her face, "what's up?" She shook the rain off her jacket over the porch before shutting the door and hanging it up on the peg.

"Nothing," I replied. I couldn't hide the tension in my voice as much as I tried. I just couldn't get the sound of her squealing her excitement about her first kiss with Edward out of my head.

"Jake, do you think I'm stupid? I can tell when you're upset, you big dummy."

She came and plopped herself down beside me on the couch. She _was_ stupid. She was stupid for thinking that I would go shopping with her to look for a new dress for the dance she was going to with someone else. I would have asked her, but it was _her_ dance, at _her_ school. I had no right to ask her to it and now she was going with a rich douche. So I told her I was busy and hung out with Leah instead.

"It's nothing, Bells. Just a long day at school. I'm not much in the mood to watch a spooky movie." That was mostly because I knew a scary movie would make her curl into my side. Normally I'd love any excuse to touch her, but I just couldn't tonight. Not after knowing he'd shoved his tongue in her mouth and I wasn't allowed. There was always an element of hope that hung in the air when we cuddled.

Now there was none.

"Okay," she sounded a little disappointed. She looked around the room for a few seconds, seeming to draw an idea from her surroundings. "How about a _Big Bang Theory_ marathon? That's levity at its best."

Bells and her big words.

"Sounds great," I smiled. It did sound better to me. I could use a laugh at the emotionally stunted Sheldon. My phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket to look at the message. It was Leah.

 _so? wats up? did the ice queen show up?_

Leah didn't like Bella's refusal to recognize my feelings. I tried to explain that I hadn't made them very clear, though I didn't understand how Bella could always tell my moods, but never the reasons behind those moods. Leah insisted that Bella _had_ to know and that she took great joy in torturing me. And that was the reason Leah hated Bella. I think Leah was tortured by her own situation and projected it onto my situation. I'd learned that in my psych class.

 _i told u to quit calling her that_

"Who's that?" Bella asked looking up from the remote where she was navigating the Netflix menu. I don't know why her question got under my skin, but it really irritated me. Like she had a right to know who was texting me.

"Leah," I replied without looking up from typing my response. I kind of wanted to know how she'd react to that.

 _like i do what im told. lol u gonna watch some sappy chick flick?_

"Leah Clearwater?" she asked, her hand dropping into her lap. The theme song for the show began.

"Yeah. We've been texting lately. Sam just dumped her for her cousin and she needs a friend. She's not doing too good," I replied. It was the truth. I didn't need to mention that we'd hooked up twice since then. I guess I needed a release, too, after hearing about Bella's little kiss-fest with Edward.

"Oh," she said. The corners of her mouth pulled down in a little frown. "That's too bad. She must really be hurting."

 _hell no. bbt marathon. u r still invited_ ;P

The use of emoticons irritated Leah so I used them. She was fun to get riled up.

I looked up at Bella who was looking at me. I used my thumb to darken my phone. I didn't think she needed to see Leah's messages calling her the ice queen.

"Yeah, she's not taking it too well. I try to keep her mind off of it," I returned. My phone buzzed again and Bella looked away as I read it.

 _gr8 just wat u need. 2 watch that leonard guy fawn over that blnd chck who never liks him back. good choice dumshit_

I hadn't thought of that. Shit. I looked over at Bella who was singing the last part of the theme song, "It all started with a big bang, BANG!" she yelled the last word which always made her giggle. It was her favorite part of the song.

 _fuuuuuuuuck! y do alwys pnt out the obvious that i seem to miss_

"You gonna watch this with me or keep texting her all night," Bella pouted. That irritated me, too. Like, what the hell? She can come spend all our time together talking about this Edward douche and how soft his lips are, but I text Leah a few times and she gets all upset? What the fuck?

"I'm watching!" I protested, pointing to the screen and I smiled at her to reassure her. I waited until she turned back towwards the TV before I looked down at my buzzing phone again.

 _cuz im smarter than you dumass. maybe i should stop by just to c wat wld hppn_

I smirked, but didn't reply. I placed my phone on the coffee table face down so I wouldn't see when she texted back.

We watched two episodes and ate frozen pizza and things almost felt like normal. Almost. She hadn't brought Edward up at all. We were watching an episode where Sheldon's girlfriend was trying to get him to kiss her when she finally brought up the tragic event again.

"God, I know how she feels! Did I tell you that he was going to kiss me at his house and his brother walked in?" she asked for the hundredth time. Yes, she'd told me. Like, seven times she'd told me. I wanted to meet his brother; I think I'd like him.

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Jake, it's like the weirdest feeling, being kissed. I can't wait for it to happen to you."

I looked over at her and just grinned. She had no idea.

"What do you mean 'when it happens to me?'" I asked. Her jaw dropped open and I chuckled at her confusion.

"Well, you've never kissed anyone," she stated, though the statement seemed to turn into a question.

"What makes you think I've never been kissed?" I asked, chuckling at her naivety. Her jaw dropped again and a smile spread across her face.

"Shut up!" she squealed. "Who? How do I not know this?" I was tickled that she was pleased and wanted to gossip. It was kind of cute.

"Because a gentleman does not kiss and tell," I hedged, knocking her knee with my foot.

"So are you going to tell me who?" she squeaked. "Who was your first kiss? When was it?" I could answer that. That was safe.

"Susan Tallgrass about six months before you moved back," I smirked.

"So was she your girlfriend? Why did it end?" she asked clearly interested.

"She fell in love with Paul Lahote, and she wasn't my girlfriend. We were just…curious together."

"Paul Lahote? Is he dating her?" she asked, confused. Ah, my little innocent Bella. Bella who thinks that _all_ kisses are based in love and affection.

"Nope. But she's fallen for him anyway. They hooked up at a party and she's been gone for him ever since. Typical story with Lahote," I said. "He doesn't give two shits about the girls he bangs." A new episode was starting and Netflix asked us if we were still watching. I pointed to the screen and Bella mashed the button indicating that we were. The theme song started up again.

"But that's so wrong," Bella said. "Like, does he still see her at all, or does he just use her?"

"I don't know. I don't really talk to her anymore," I shrugged. She frowned and turned her attention back to the screen.

"Ooo! My favorite part! That all started with a big bang, BANG!" she sang. Just as she yelled the last word, the front door slammed against the wall, punctuating the music and Leah Clearwater stood in the doorway.

"Hey, Black. What's up?" she smirked. "Bella Swan. How the hell are you?"

Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

 **A/N: So? Bella is still clueless.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, back to Edward.**

 **Thanks MarinaNamaste-my beta.**

* * *

"So, little brother, did you did you finally get some action yesterday on your little study date?" Emmett guffawed. He really was the epitome of a Neanderthal. I could never understand how two smart, serious, intelligent people like my mother and father could have raised such an ogre. His mother's early death must have scarred him unconsciously since he wasn't old enough to even remember her.

"Like I'd tell you," I returned, trying to keep my voice even. I'd learned that Emmett really enjoyed getting a rise out of me and I was attempting to not rise to the occasion. That's what dad advised, anyway. It never helped to tell mom. He just made more fun of me if I did that by calling me a momma's boy.

"Oh, come on! She's a hot little piece of work, there Eddie. Snarky, too. You typically don't go for the snarky ones," he added. He was right. I was quite surprised by Bella's little outburst when she called Emmett an ass. While it was completely fitting, and proved her to be an astute judge of character, I was shocked that she'd used the term.

"Kindly refrain from referring to Bella in such a crude manner." I shocked even myself with my calm tone.

"How old are you?" he asked, grinning and rubbing his chin. "Edward, I know an adolescent male dwells in there somewhere. One day he's going to claw his way out and hurt someone."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I replied, because I didn't. Emmett never made any sense to me.

He got me thinking about finally kissing Bella, though. She'd invited me over to work on our Biology project. As cliché as that sounded—working on a _Biology_ project to get closer to her—it was perfect.

She wasn't like the other girls. She didn't throw herself at me like Jessica and Lauren, and she wasn't crude like them, either. She was more gregarious than Angela, who I'd thought about asking out until I heard Ben express an interest in her. Angela was smart and could hold an intelligent conversation if you could get her talking, but she was also too mousy.

Bella was just perfect.

She was beautiful, but in an understated way. She didn't wear much make-up which showed me that she wasn't vain, but did put some effort into her appearance. She got good grades, didn't swear or draw unseemly attention to herself. In fact, she seemed to try to avoid attention all together. I liked that, too.

She caught me looking at her one day and I just smiled back. That was the beginning of our small flirtations. It was sweet and shy and I enjoyed it very much. When she was here, sitting next to me, I was drunk on her fruity scent. I think it was her strawberry shampoo. She was so sweet. I wanted to kiss her so badly. And then…

Emmett.

I was mortified. Emmett always had a way of scaring off the girls I brought home, even if it was completely platonic. But, when Bella placed her hand on my thigh, I knew it was to calm me, and it worked. In that one simple, bold gesture she communicated to me that I shouldn't be embarrassed and that Emmett would not sway her opinion of me. Of course I was still mortified, but she seemed to sweep away the utter hopelessness I was feeling. It was like she could read my mind and knew exactly how to ease my distress.

When I walked her to her truck—that ugly beast that I couldn't believe her father allowed her drive—she invited me over to study the next day. I knew then, I would have the opportunity to sample her sweet lips.

And I did.

We'd actually worked on the project and had a major breakthrough and I was so excited I pulled her into my arms. I heard her inhale sharply and looked into her eyes. My gaze then dropped to her lips, which I've always noticed were plump and full. She had a habit of tugging one between her teeth, and I wanted to try that, too.

I didn't hesitate this time. She'd invited me, and even told me that we could pick up where we left off. Emmett had already announced my intentions about kissing her, and she didn't object or look embarrassed. Rather, she appeared coquettish and disappointed that my plan had been stymied again.

Sitting next to her on her father's battered old couch in the middle of their tiny sitting room, I pressed my lips to hers. They were warm and soft, and after a few beats they moved in concert with mine. I sucked a little at her bottom lip before pulling away just a bit so I could run my nosed down the length of hers.

"I've been waiting a long time to do that," I admitted to her, my heart hammering in my chest.

"I've been waiting a long time for you to do to that, too," she smiled back at me, her brown eyes sparkled with mirth through her lashes. She was so beautiful.

"Can I do it one more time before I leave?" I asked, bringing my hand up to cup her cheek. She leaned into my hand and her eyes fell closed.

"Please," she sighed.

She was perfect.

"Hello! Edward! Where did you go?" Emmett's braying pulled me from me reminiscences. Bella was right, he did bray like an ass.

"I'm done listening to you," I answered. "You're just trying to get a rise out of me and I'm not going to respond to your petty taunts."

"Fuck, how old _are_ you? You don't talk like a teenager. You've had way too much therapy." He turned and left the room shaking his head.

"I read a book once and a while you mangy, ape-man," I mumbled under my breath. I really didn't want him to hear me and come back.

I climbed the stairs to my room on the third floor and put on my favorite CD for the time being: Clair de Lune by Claude Dubussy. I lost myself in the gentle melody while replaying Bella's gentle kiss over and over again.

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 **A/N: Thoughts?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Onward we trudge. Time for a dance.**

 **MarinaNamaste is my beta and friend and she is amazing.**

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The dance was more wonderful than I ever imagined. Who knew that our smelly gym could be so transformed into a Winter Wonderland with a few twinkle lights, some glitter, and crepe paper? It really was rather magical, and I was caught in its spell.

I never had a desire to attend a dance before. In Phoenix I was clumsy, awkward, and no one would have asked me to go. I'm not even sure what possessed me to say yes when Edward asked. I think I had a fleeting thought about dancing a slow dance with him, pressed up against his chiseled body. I'd blushed at the thought and mumbled yes before I knew what I was doing.

That thought had turned into a reality.

We swayed back and forth to the music, his hand pressed firmly in the small of my back. We'd talked and laughed. He was so sweet and so polite. Neither of us really knew what to do during the faster songs, so we typically sat with Angela and Ben at one of the tables in the corner. We both jumped at the chance to dance again when a slower ballad sounded through the gym.

Edward pulled me closer and dropped his head to the crook of my neck where it met my shoulder. I felt his lips graze it there, softly, before he ran his nose up my neck. I felt him inhale as he ascended, taking one more nip as he passed my throat. His lips brushed my ear as he whispered into it, "you look so beautiful, Isabella." I think I sighed as I pulled him closer to me. I wanted him to kiss me so badly. The mood was so right.

His other hand held mine near his chest. He pulled it up and kissed the back of my hand. He was such a gentleman. His eyes found mine and he tilted his head before he smiled that crooked smile I loved so much.

"Would you find me presumptuous if I kissed you here, right now, in front of everyone?" he asked so sweetly, hunger burning in his eyes. "I find it more and more difficult to resist you."

"Then stop trying," I said, silently pleading with my eyes. I tilted my chin up to give him better access. He licked his lips and pressed them against mine so soft and warm. Again he was sweet and tender, and he made my body tingle. I pulled my hand free from his and wound it up around his neck while his lowered his to my rib cage, his fingers lightly kneading my back.

His head swiveled as he adjusted his angle, and I sucked his bottom lip between my teeth. He groaned softly and I was a little proud of myself.

Until he pulled away. "Isabella, I'm sorry. We can't do this here." I was confused and hurt as the rejection washed over me. It must have shown on my face because he pulled me impossibly closer. "It makes me want you more than I should, and I don't want to be inappropriate," he explained.

"Oh," I smiled as he nudged my chin up again. He placed a light sweet kiss on the tip of my nose. It was then we noticed that the ballad had ended and couples around us were grinding to a fast song. I blushed thinking about what it would feel like to have Edward pressed up behind me, thrusting into me like Eric was doing to Jenny, the girl from my English class.

"Umm, I think I need to use the restroom," I said, ignoring the heat that I knew colored my cheeks scarlet.

"Okay, I'll meet you back at the table?" he asked.

"Sure, sure," I answered.

"Why do you always say that?" Edward asked with a smirk. I was confused. "'Sure, sure,' you always say it twice when once will do."

"Oh, I don't know. Everyone I know says that," I said. Jake said it the most, but Billy and Charlie said it, too. So did Quil and Embry.

"I don't." I giggled a little at his comment. I guess he was right. He didn't say it and I knew him.

"I guess it's kind of a family thing."

"Oh. Okay, I was just curious." He leaned in, whispering in my ear again. "Hurry back. I already miss you. That corner is dark over there." The bottom dropped out of my stomach at his implication.

"I will," I giggled.

I was still sitting in the stall when I heard Jessica and Lauren come into the girls' room.

"Did you see how she was hanging all over Edward?" Lauren sneered. I smiled to myself because I'd known since I was placed as Edward's lab partner that she was jealous.

"I think it was the other way around," Jessica jibed back. "It looked like _he_ was all over her." I heard the zipper of a purse slide open. They were there to fix their makeup.

"Why the fuck do you always take her side?" Lauren asked. "It's like you have some girl-crush on her or something. Are you some kind of a lezbo or something?"

"Yes," Jessica replied matter-of-factly, "and you're pissed off that I'm not hot for you." I heard Lauren scoff, but Jessica went on. "You're pissed off when _anyone_ shows _any_ interest in _anyone_ but _you_. Get over yourself already." Jessica sounded tired. There was the clicking of make-up pencils and powder compacts, and I was surprised Lauren didn't retort.

"Fine. He was hanging all over her, but she was eating it up!" Lauren reluctantly agreed. "Did you see her trying to eat his face?"

"I thought it was kind of sweet. You would have swallowed his tongue, or choked him with yours. Again, envy green is not your color." I loved Jessica. I wasn't foolish enough to think she was sticking up for me out of any sense of loyalty. She just loved to put Lauren in her place. And I loved watching it because I was too chicken shit to do it myself.

"Well that lipstick makes you look like a whore," Lauren jabbed.

"I stole it from you. Takes one to know one and I'm not the one who went down on Tyler behind the bleachers in the gym," Jessica laughed. I was beginning to understand why Edward was so cautious about what we did in public.

"Whatever. He's never moaned your name, has he?" Lauren tried to brag.

"No he hasn't," Jessica stated flatly. Lauren didn't even know she'd been burned. I probably should spend more time with Jessica. She wasn't all that bad.

They must have been finished with their makeup because I heard the zipper of the purse sing shut again and they exited the bathroom discussing the merits and drawbacks of Tyler Crowley.

I was glad. I wanted to get back to Edward and discover what a dark corner of the gym held for me.

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 **A/N: Thoughts?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Happy Boxing Day y'all! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. Mine was wonderful including petty little family fights and all.**

 **I love writing Pack dialog. It is so much fun!**

 **On with the story!**

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"Come on, bro! You have to tell us what happened?" Quil cried. "Leah fuckin' shows up at your house while Bella is there? You gotta tell us how that turned out!" The guys came over to distract me from the fact that Bella was currently dancing her ass off with Douche-ward. I was beginning to regret that decision.

"He fuckin' got lucky _again_!" Embry moaned. "Seriously, Black. What sexual goddess did you eat out in a former life to earn such good blow job karma?"

"What?" Quil squeaked.

"Shut the fuck up!" I cried. "I'm never fucking telling you anything again you gossiping pussy!" Embry was worse than a girl when came to talking shit. But it got me thinking. I hadn't tried that before. Maybe Leah wouldn't mind me testing out my skills.

"You got a blow job while Bella was there?" Quil asked. I just looked at him like the dumbass he was.

"You really do need to start thinking before you speak," Embry answered.

"And maybe Jake needs to start telling me shit instead of you because you can't keep your fuckin' mouth closed," Quil returned. "Dammit Jake, when will you learn?" He turned a little away from me, pouting to the wall instead. "And I'm just a little hurt." Embry burst out laughing.

"Holy shit! And you call me a pussy?" Embry asked me pointing towards Quil. "Shit, Black, I think he's gonna cry!"

"I'm thinking he's right and that I shouldn't have told you shit," I said. I don't know why I always told Embry things and not Quil. Quil was actually more trustworthy, but he just wasn't as quick witted. I never had to explain things to Embry, and with Bella being more and more absent from my life, I realized I missed that easy flow in conversation-a lot.

"So Bella was there for your normal Friday night movie-a-thon and Leah showed up?" Quil asked, nodding his head, trying to get the conversation back on track.

"Yeah, but Leah's been texting him since the night of the bonfire like a hot and horny bitch," Embry said.

"You're a fucking asshole, Embry. If Leah hears you talking like that she'll kick your ass," I warned.

"No," he corrected, "she'll kick your ass for blabbing. And if you piss me off enough, Black, I'll make some comment how I want a little tug and chug and how I hear how much she likes the greasy sausage." He wore a shit eating grin while Quil howled with laughter. Fuckers. Here I'd taken Quil's side and he was egging Embry on.

I was pissed. I was pissed because I knew he was right. I had to quit telling Embry shit and just keep it to myself or only tell Quil who could at least keep quiet. Quil just liked being part of the _in_ crowd. I thought about that as I crossed the room at lightning speed to lay one hell of a sac tap on Embry.

"FUCK!" he wailed as he rolled on the floor holding his nuts.

"Oh, shit!" Quil said. "You do know better than to mess with Jake. You know he can split your taint faster than Paul Bunyon can split logs."

"Fucking faggot! Why do you always want to touch my balls?" Embry groaned again and rolled onto his side.

"I don't _want_ to touch your balls, you retard. It's the only way I can get you to understand anything. It's not my fault that you keep your brain in your nut sack. Now fucking listen up. You don't make a peep about what's going on between Leah and me. She just needs to blow off some steam and she doesn't need shit from you or anyone else about it, you got me?" I raised my hand like I was going to nut tap him again.

"Yeah. Fine," he mumbled.

"So she blows off steam by blowing you?" Quil asked. He wasn't trying to be funny, though. He was sincerely trying to understand. "Does she like it that much?"

"I think she likes the idea of doing it to someone who isn't Sam and I'm safe," I admitted. She'd told me as much the first time.

 _"Jake, you're so in love with that Ice Queen, you won't get caught up on me. But she's such an Ice Queen you have to be gagging for it. I need someone with no strings attached. So just sit back and enjoy, okay?" Leah explained over my objections as she unzipped my jeans._

So I did. I looked down as she knelt in front of me and watched as her head bobbed back and forth on my dick, sending me over the edge behind the public bathrooms at the beach. After Bella left on Friday, Leah did it again while I sat spread eagle on the couch. Right in the exact same spot where Bella sat yelling the word _BANG_ at the end of the theme song.

"And I actually help _her_ out _before_ she repays the favor," I added. "I'm not a douchebag."

"So that's the definition of douchebag?" Embry asked.

"You'd know," Quil shot to Embry who was now sitting up but still on the floor, "Brandy Enumclaw suggested that maybe you're not so good with returning favors."

"That was one hand job!" Embry protested. "And it wasn't even that good!"

"So you couldn't return the favor?" I asked, laughing again.

"I tried," Embry pouted. "It just didn't…you know, work out."

"What? You couldn't find her clit?" Quil asked. Embry and I both looked at him in shock. "What I know what to do, I just haven't been given the opportunity to do it."

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 **A/N: Thoughts?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey all! I just got back from a mini family trip to the Big Easy. I am full of Cajun food and sweets and ready to post another chapter.**

 **Some of you are upset with Jake. You think he's being untrue to Bella or his feelings? Some of you are irritated with Bella for several reasons. A few of you are upset/irritated with me because you like Experiments better. Good. It means I'm doing something right.**

 **All my stories are meant for ME to practice my writing skills. Experiments was to set my prude mind free and get comfortable writing smut, which has always been difficult for me. The purpose of Just The Way You Are is to practice creating angst and tension. Sounds like I'm doing an okay job. All of it is to practice grammar and dialogue. When I ask for thoughts, I'm asking for your responses, thoughts, and opinions. That's what y'all are giving me, so thank you.**

 **MarinaNamaste is my beta. She really helps me, too. But the two of us together are still learning as well. So keep those thoughts coming. :)**

 **Ready for more drama? It's gonna get worse before it gets better.**

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"Jake it was so great," I said for the eightieth time I'm sure. "He was so-"

"Sweet and perfect," he interrupted me. "I got it the first ten times you said it." He sounded really irritated. I was a little disappointed and just a little hurt. I was excited when I found out about his kissing the Tallgrass girl. I tried to sympathize when I found out that she dumped him for Paul Lahote.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked. He'd been distracted all afternoon.

"I'm just tired of hearing you talk about how perfect he is. No one is perfect, Bella. No one." Man, was he trying to bring me down?

"Sorry to bother you with my happiness," I muttered back. I pulled my knees up and rested my chin on them, effectively curling into a ball.

"What?" he asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the TV for the first time since I'd arrived. He was completely ignoring me. That's why I kept retelling the story.

"It just seems like you're trying to bring me down because you aren't getting any action," I jibed, trying to lighten the mood. He shook his head at me and sighed.

"What makes you think I'm not getting any action?" he asked, but he wasn't smiling. "Why do you always assume that you get to do everything first? Is it your age? Do you think your year and a half of extra breathing gives you a leg up on all life experiences?" I didn't know how to respond to that. He wasn't smiling and he didn't sound like he was kidding. I didn't know this Jake and that bothered me.

"I don't know," I managed to squeak out. "I just, you know, like, you spend all your time with me. So I just, like, assumed that—"

"I don't spend _all_ my time with you. Especially lately, Bella. There are twenty-four hours in a day, seven to eight of which are spent sleeping alone and another eight hours a day that I spend at a different school that is full of girls who throw themselves at me on a regular basis. Just because I don't take all of them up on their offers doesn't mean I refuse them all."

Again, I was silenced by his interruption and shocked by his statements and tone. He was obviously bothered by something. Maybe he liked that girl more than he let on and maybe he was really bothered by her liking Paul. And my new relationship just rubbed him the wrong way.

"So you're getting some right now?" I smirked, lightheartedly trying to lighten the mood.

"Not right at this exact moment," he said, not returning my levity. "But while you were being romanced in the back of a high school gym, I was having a good time of my own." He finally smirked when my jaw hit the floor.

"Who?" I finally said when I managed to find my voice.

"I don't think you really want to know that," he teased. While I was glad his mood lifted, I became very irritated.

"Why wouldn't I want to know who you're dating?" I asked. I did want to know. I wanted to know if she was good enough for him. It irritated me that there was something in his life that I didn't know about and he seemed content to keep it from me.

"I never said I was dating anyone," Jake returned, his stoic mask settling over his features again.

"What? Then how—"

"You're making another assumption, Bells, and you know what that does, right?" He kicked my knee like he always does when he's teasing, but his voice was still serious. "It makes you an ass." He stood up and walked into the kitchen. What the hell did he mean? He wasn't dating anyone, but he was getting action? He was hooking up?

I did _not_ know _this_ Jacob.

I followed him into the kitchen. He grabbed a soda out of the fridge and cracked it open. I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down which each gulp. When he'd drunk his fill he lowered his head back and looked at me.

"So who?" I couldn't imagine who he'd be doing these things with. My mind cataloged all the people that I knew in La Push. I didn't know too many. I knew Embry and Quil, and the other kids of my dad's friends. Seth and Leah Clearwater. Then it hit me.

"Leah?" I asked. I thought it was odd that she showed up the other night. She'd plopped herself down on the couch right in between us and sat there snorting at the TV during _our_ movie night. "You're hooking up with Leah? I thought you were just being her friend?"

"I said I was trying to help her out," he smirked. "She needs...a friend…something."

"Not that kind of friend," I scoffed. He was going to wind up hurting her more. My heart thudded in my chest and I was having some trouble getting air. And I was really irritated.

"How do you know? Are you Leah? Have you been through what she's been through? You don't know her other than she's Harry's daughter. Why do you assume that everyone thinks like you and will react to things just like you? God, Bella, you're so self-centered sometimes." He set the soda can down on the counter. Well, he kind of slammed it down and it punctuated what he did with my heart as it slammed in my chest. He walked past me without looking at me.

What the heck was that? I watched as he sat back in the recliner and not on the couch and focused on the television again. Like I wasn't even there. It was like he was fine whether or not I was with him.

"Maybe I should go," I said, trying hard not to cry. Jake had never treated me like this before. He thought I was self-centered? That really hurt.

"I never said that," Jake said.

"You didn't have to." I walked over and grabbed my backpack and keys and headed out the door. I didn't look back and I didn't check my phone until I got home, even though I heard it tweet with an incoming text message.

 _bells, i didnt mean 2 make u feel bad_

It made me feel a little better, but he hadn't apologized for what he said. I was devastated. I didn't text him back. If he didn't pay attention to me while I was there, he wouldn't miss me when I was gone, I reasoned.

I was going to call Edward instead.

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 **So? Thoughts? Reactions? Opinions?**


	9. Chapter 9

"Bella, calm down," I said. I didn't know who this guy was, but I didn't like that he'd upset my girl so much. "Bella," I crooned and pulled her closer to me. I wanted to see her—no I'd had to see her—so I had driven to her house. Her father had informed me that she was in La Push visiting a friend and closed the door when I heard her beastly truck roaring down the street. Our eyes met through the glass of the windshield and I knew something was not right. I rushed to her and pulled her from the cab. Once I opened the door, she crumbled into sobs. I scooped her up and held her closely. She mumbled something about Jake calling her selfish.

Some friend.

"Who is this Jake person?" I asked. "And how would he know? You have a heart of gold."

"He's my best friend and he knows me better than anyone..." she hiccupped, "or so I thought. He was so mean tonight."

"Bella, is this where you spend all your time?" I asked, a little concerned. If this Jake person didn't know how to treat Bella, then I was going to have to make sure she quit spending time with him.

"Well, less since I met you. I think he resents that," she said in a small, pitiful voice.

"Well, maybe he just jealous. You like to spend your time with me, now. Not him. Of course he resents it. I can't really blame him." I pulled her chin up so I could look her in the eyes. "You're lovely and he's probably missing you something terrible." I leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. It was getting easier to kiss her whenever I wanted to. "And if he's going to continue to treat you like that, I don't want you anywhere near him."

"Oh, Edward. He's not a bad guy." I felt her sigh with the admission. "I think he's just hurt. I can't just stop seeing him. He's, like, my best friend."

I didn't like her saying that. _I_ wanted to be her best friend. I couldn't control what happened in the past, but I could control the future. I didn't want to bring that up yet, though. I was determined to become the most important person in her life. She clung to me for dear life and I ran my hands up and down her back to try to comfort her.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked after a few minutes. She looked up at me with those beautiful doe eyes, a bashful smile playing across her lips.

"I just had to see you," I confessed. "I couldn't wait until school tomorrow."

"I'm glad," she said tucking into my chest again for shelter and comfort. "I really needed you. It's like you read my mind."

"Do you want to come to my house for dinner? My mother is making lasagna and Emmett is visiting friends for the week." I was always so relieved when my brother took off for weeks at a time.

"I can't. I have to make dinner for Charlie." She'd pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"See. Already this Jacob is wrong. You are not selfish at all. You take care of your father and we'll make plans for the near future for you to meet my mother. She really is a wonderful woman and I know she's just going to love you." Truth is, my mother would love anyone who made me happy. And Bella did make me happy.

"Alright," she agreed, looking a little more chipper. "Can you come in for a few minutes?"

"I wish I could. I really just came over to steal you away for dinner which is very soon. But I'll come pick you up for school tomorrow if you want." I really hoped she'd agree. I hated that truck she drove.

"No thanks," she chirped. "I love driving my truck to school. It gives me a sense of power," she said flexing her bicep. "That thing is the best gift Charlie ever bought for me."

Surely she couldn't be serious. But she sounded dead serious, and I didn't want to argue. I'd just have to do something about that sometime soon.

"Okay then. I'll meet you before school?" I asked.

"Do I get a special hello?" she grinned.

"Yes," I tilted her head up to meet mine again, "and a special goodbye."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey! Long time no up date and I apologize. Theory of a Wolfman is taking all my brain power, but I'm almost done with it. I promise to give this story more attention...**

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"Shit, shit, SHIT!" I banged my fist on the steering wheel. My truck _always_ started. I had a great mechanic. And even though we were fighting, he was the only one I could think of to call. It didn't help that I was trying to skip gym and leave campus an hour early. I couldn't call Charlie.

"Shit!" I yelled out of sheer frustration, forgetting that my window was rolled down. Jake texted me at least four times over the past two days and I hadn't responded to any of them. I didn't know what to think of his involvement with Leah Clearwater. It was just so weird and it bothered me on a few different levels.

But I needed his help. I dialed the number, hoping he would answer. His school was just about out for the day.

"Bella?" Edward's voice startled me and I almost dropped my phone. "What's wrong?" his voice heavy laden with concern.

"My truck won't start," I grumbled. Just then, Jake answered.

"Bells?"

"Jake!" I was so relieved. He answered and sounded happy to hear from me.

"Why are you leaving now?" Edward asked, frowning.

"Bells! I'm so glad you called! I'm sorry, honey! I didn't mean to make you so upset. I'm such and ass!" I missed him so much. Even just texting him, I missed his funny, snarky messages. I suddenly felt very guilty.

"I'm sorry I overacted. Seriously," I spilled, "I'm so sorry. I need your help. My truck won't start." There was a brief pause and I chewed my lip while I flashed a worried look at Edward.

"Is that the only reason you called? Not to apologize, but to get my help? Convenient, Bella." His tone was acerbic, but I knew he had a point.

"Bella?" Edward asked again.

"I know it seems that way, Jake. I was going to call you when I got home, honest. But now I can't get home and I'm calling you now." I really was going to call him. Or, at least text him back. He scoffed into the phone. "Come on," I tried in my lighthearted tone, "I can kill two birds with one stone."

"Bella, I asked you a question," Edward interrupted, sounding a little irritated.

"I didn't want to go to gym," I confessed to Edward and then held up a finger to tell him to hang on. "I was just going to head home."

"Who's that?" Jake asked.

"But that's skipping," Edward said. "You can get in trouble for that."

"Edward," I answered Jake, ignoring Edward.

"Ah," Jake said, and I could hear the smile in his voice, "so you need me to come up there and look at it?"

"Bella, why are calling him? I can help you," Edward put in. I shook my finger at Edward again so he'd hopefully stay quiet until I was finished.

"Yes," I said. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

"And I'll get to meet your perfect specimen of manhood, huh?" Jake jeered. Shit. I didn't know if he was ready for that. I didn't know if _I_ was ready for that.

"Ah…" I stuttered.

"Bella?" Edward's tone was harsh. I got a little irritated. He was the one who interrupted me and my phone call.

"Can you hold on just a moment, Edward? I need to finish talking to Jake. I was calling him when you walked up. I'll be finished in a moment."

"You tell him, Bells," he chuckled. "I'll be up there in twenty."

"But it takes forty minutes," I argued.

"I was halfway there. I have to pick up dad's meds from the pharmacy up there," he explained. I felt a pang of guilt. I usually brought them down as an excuse to go to La Push. But I hadn't answered his texts.

"Shit, Jake. I'm sorry. I should have texted you back."

"It's all good, Bells. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. Bye Jake." I swiped my phone, ending the call and looked up at a very shocked Edward.

"What?" I asked.

"I just, I've never heard you talk like that?" Edward stammered. "And I said I would look at your truck. You don't need to invite that, that, boy who hurt you so badly up here."

It was my turn to be shocked. He looked so offended. What had I said that shocked him so much? Oh, I'd said _shit_ to Jake.

"Jake was already on his way. He has to pick up his dad's prescriptions."

"And you never answered why you're skipping school. Why are you out here?" He looked so disappointed in me. It was weird.

"I just didn't want to feel like an utter and complete failure while we finished up the basketball unit in gym," I explained, but I was a little annoyed. I already had one father, I didn't need him to act as a surrogate. "The teams like it better when I skip or I'm hurt anyway. It was the 'championship' game and Mike all but begged me to skip." He just looked at me.

"So you skip gym on a regular basis?" he asked.

"Nnnnnooooooo," I dragged the word out slowly. I hadn't ever seen this side of Edward before. I was confused. "Just on days that I'm down. I really need to fix things with Jake. I just don't feel very good about myself right now and I needed to go think about some things." I looked up at him, holding back tears that decided to make a surprise appearance. His face, which was hard as stone, softened.

"Oh, Isabella, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were feeling so badly," he crooned as he opened my truck door. I turned to slide out of the truck and he pulled me into his arms. "Haven't I made you happy over the past few days?" he asked stroking my hair with one hand while the other rubbed gentle circles on my back. "Haven't my affections made you feel loved and cared for?"

"Of course," I choked out. It felt so good in his arms that I quickly forgot that I was irritated with him. "But Jake is my sun. My world isn't right when he's upset with me or vice-versa. Please try to understand that, Edward. He's like family." He didn't say anything, just hugged me closer. I loved being wrapped in his arms.

His head dropped to my neck where he planted a sweet kiss. I shivered, but it had nothing to do with the chill in the air. We must have stood there for quite some time because soon I heard the unmistakable knock of Jake's diesel-fueled Rabbit pulling into the parking lot.

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 **So?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm going to finish this story and not forget about it. I got a nice response last chapter. Thanks for hanging in there with me. :)**

 **Thanks to MarinaNamaste for her beta brain. I get to meet her soon. :D**

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I knew _he_ would be there. It was the whole reason I sped up and broke every speed law this side of La Push. But I didn't expect that he'd be wrapped around her like a clingy blanket in the fucking school parking lot.

Fuck.

That hurt more than I wanted to admit. I pulled behind the truck, because the spots on either side of her retro orange truck were occupied—Forks High School was still in session.

Bells was skippin' gym again. She was such a hazard, the gym teacher didn't even count her absent. But it seemed on the phone that the dickweed minded. What. A. Douche.

I pushed down whatever it was I was feeling and decided to meet this beau that Bella was so fond of. Maybe I could learn something useful.

"Hey Bells, skipping gym again?" I grinned because Edward frowned as I unfolded myself from my little, red Rabbit.

"You're skipping, too!" she accused.

"I'm an office aid 7th period, Bells. All I gotta do is wink at Ms. Tallgrass and she'll let me do whatever I want. _I_ have permission."

"Shut it," she smiled finally pulling out of the douche's arms. "You need to use that super power for good."

"What superpower?" Edward asked. We'd yet to be introduced and I could tell he wanted to make his presence known.

"His beauty," Bella grinned at me. "He's _sort of_ beautiful."

"Sort of?" Edward asked. "Is that a precise measurement?" He was eyeing me with unfiltered disdain. He did _not_ like me. But Bella giggled at his comment and was oblivious to his scrutiny.

"Well, look at him," she directed. He already was and I could tell I intimidated him. I was a good three inches taller than him, and while he appeared athletic, he was thin and lanky. I could totally take him if he pushed the issue.

"Hi," I said, stepping forward and offering my hand, "I'm Jacob Black. Most people call me Jake, though. Except Bells calls me Jacob when she's upset with me." He took my hand warily.

"Edward Cullen." His hand shake was loose, almost as if he couldn't wait to let go of my hand. He said nothing else so I clapped my hands together.

"So have you even popped the hood?" I asked in an effort to get to the point as well as show off a little more.

"Ah, no," Bella blushed. Obviously Edward had kept her distracted from her car trouble. "I'll pop the hood and you open it, yeah?" her voice rising in a question.

"Sure, sure," I replied, walking around to the front of the truck. I totally ignored Edward's frown at my short reply. He really hated me and I'd barely been there for three minutes. That didn't bode well. I didn't like him either, but I knew I could have a little bit of fun with this.

"Did she even turn over?" I asked, trying to trouble shoot. I lifted the heavy, orange hood and saw the problem right away.

"No," Bella answered, poking her head out the window. At least the rain had let up; it'd poured that morning and most of the afternoon.

"Bells, your battery cables are disconnected. Why'd you do that?"

"Why do you call her that?" Edward asked. His question caught me totally off guard that I totally lost track of what I was doing.

"Call her what?"

"Bells. Her name is _Isabella_." He almost sneered it, like I was insulting her every time I called her that.

"Yeeeeeeeessss," I said, drawing it out because I didn't understand. "And she likes to be called Bella, not Isabella. She says the _latter_ sounds like a hundred year old woman, so I'm not quite sure why you would remind me of that. I have known her since we were babies and we used to bath together." I looked over at her and winked. "Naked."

"Jacob Ephraim Black!"

"See?" I grinned. "I told you she called me Jacob when she was upset with me. _Bells_ is my nickname for her. And her dad's and my dad's. It'll all be okay, Eddie." I was totally chuffed when I saw his jaw clench and his eyes almost rolled into the back of his head. He did not like to be called Eddie.

"It's Edward," he bit out.

"Alright, _Edward._ " I emphasized his full name. "And she is _Bells_ to me. I'm sure she won't mind if you gave her a nickname as well. Just don't call her Isabella," I whispered. "She _really_ doesn't like that."

"Jake, the truck? The battery cables are disconnected? How did that happen?" Bella pulled me back to the problem.

"I don't know, _Bells_. Someone would have to actually have to pull them off." I shot a look at Edward who was conveniently looking away. I really didn't like him. "They were on there tight when I checked them a few weeks ago. Did you piss someone off?" I heard Edward scoff.

"No," Bella said. "I don't think so. I mean, Lauren's been giving me trouble for dating Edward, but I can't see her doing something like that." I could.

"I could see that bitch paying someone to do it," I said, putting the cables back in place and making sure they were tight. Edward scoffed again. I looked up at the pinched, sour look on his face. "What the fuck, dude?"

"Jacob!" Bella cried.

"What?" I shrieked. "He keeps making that noise at me. I want to know what the fuck for."

"Your language. Do you think you can show Isabella a little more respect?" he asked, looking extremely smug. I laughed. Like, I LOLed. Was this guy for real?

"Yes, I can. I make sure I don't call her Isabella and I keep her truck in working order. I make sure she's safe."

"Well this truck is not safe. If you were truly trying to keep her safe, you'd talk her father into getting her some suitable transportation," he lectured. I seriously couldn't figure out if he was being for real. Did he really just say that her truck, the vehicle that Bella believed defined her personality, was unsuitable? I thought I'd just wait for her to kick him to the curb based on that comment alone.

"Edward, why don't you meet me at my house after school. We have to finish up our project and I'll finish up here with Jake. Okay?" Her eyes pleaded with him and his jaw clenched before it softened into a smile. I, on the other hand, was dumbfounded.

"Fine. For you." His hand rose to cup her cheek and she melted into it. "I'll go gather my things and meet you there." He bent down and gave her a kiss that started off softly and then deepened into something almost lewd. His arms wrapped around her waist and his hands settled just above her ass. _I_ wouldn't have done that with Leah in front of someone else. Though I had kissed her like that two nights ago.

He was totally doing that for my benefit.

He pulled away from her and she gasped. He smirked and strutted away towards the building. I wondered what _he_ was doing out of class when some fundamental truths clicked together in my mind.

"Still think he's perfect?" I asked, knowing she'd just been given an overdose of controlling teenage boyfriend syndrome.

"Yes," she breathed and blushed all over again. That was not the answer I expected. "Why wouldn't I?" Her eyes followed him into the building.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Oh, I was angry. Could she not see through this guy? She finally turned her eyes to me and looked confused.

"Nnnooooo," she said. "What are you talking about?"

"Dude hates your truck and probably hates the fact that you drive it every day. He disconnected the cables so it wouldn't start and you'd have to ride home with him. That's on top of the fact that he insists on calling you Isabella, even though you hate it, and odds are he's going to try to get you to quit hanging out with me because I threaten him and what he's trying to do." Her eyes lost their starry, love-sick look and narrowed at me.

"And just what do you think he's trying to do?" she asked, anger seeping into her tone.

"Make you into something you're not," I replied flatly.

"No he's not. He's never hinted at any of the things you just said," she hissed back. "Maybe he's right. Maybe you _are_ jealous of all the time I'm spending with him. Maybe our relationship _does_ have to change."

She was right about that. I was just hoping it went in a different direction. "Why don't you go back and hook up with Leah a bit more," she spat with a bitterness that I think even surprised her. Well, judging by the surprised look on her face, she hadn't expected to feel so much about that.

I just shook my head at her. She refused to understand what was actually between Leah and me and I didn't expect she'd try. She was off in La-la land mooning after some douche bag who was chasing an ideal version of Bella. He was chasing a _fictional_ Isabella. I wondered what he'd do if she burped in front of him.

"I love you just the way you are, Bells. When you realize that, I hope I'm still around."

I meant it. Maybe there were other fish in the sea for me and I needed to finally take off my Bella Swan goggles.

I climbed back into my car and took one last look at her. Her mouth was wide open, probably because I had just professed my love in the most unproductive, unromantic manner possible. Her jaw snapped shut when I started the engine and by the time I shifted into gear her bottom lip was trembling.

When I looked back at her in the rear-view mirror as I exited the parking lot, she was still staring at the back of my car, but I could see her shoulders shake with sobs.

"Nice going, Black," I berated myself, "you just kicked her into that bastard's comforting arms."

She'd _never_ see his flaws now.

* * *

 **A/N: Well?**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Spring break is coming for me. I'm hoping to get both my stories finished during that time.**

 **MarinaNamaste is my awesome beta. Go read her new story: Runaways**

 **I'm beginning to like my Bella.**

* * *

It'd been over a week and Jake still hadn't called or texted me. I was so angry with him, but I missed him more than I was angry. My mind kept going over and over our last conversation. He said he loved me.

What the hell did he mean by that?

I knew he loved me like a friend—like family—but he made it _seem_ like more. He said he hoped I was still around when I figured out that he loved me _just the way I was_. If it was friendship love, then he'd always be around. Even not talking for over a week, I knew that, when we finally did talk again, we'd be friends. So, did he mean that he loved me for more than a friend?

But he couldn't. He was hooking up with Leah. If he loved me, he wouldn't be hooking with anyone else. Would he?

Truth was, I'd never thought about Jake like that before. He wasn't _sort of_ beautiful, he was freakin' gorgeous. I'd always admired the grace and agility he showed in everything he did. He was an astounding athlete. He was totally going to get an athletic scholarship to almost any school he chose. But I'd never considered an attraction to him like that before he told me that he loved me last week. Now I didn't know what to think.

He had me so messed up in the head! Why did he say that to me? He had Leah and I was _trying_ to start something new with Edward. _Why_ would he say that to me?

"Bella? Are you okay?" Edward asked, pulling me from my reverie. We'd been watching _O_ the 2001 modernized version of _Othello,_ but it wasn't holding my interest. I missed my movie nights with Jake.

"Yeah, Edward. Just got lost in my thoughts," I tried to smile, but he knew when I was lying.

"Well I'd hoped that the movie could keep your interest. I admit that the modernized version is lacking, I prefer Shakespeare in its unadulterated and original form, but I thought this would be fun for you. It's better than that bastardized version of _Hamlet_ that Kenneth Branagh attempted. That was just awful," he groaned.

"Wait," I said, forgetting my thoughts of Jacob, "You didn't like that? I thought it was brilliant." I had a mini-crush in Kenneth Branagh; he was officially a "hot old guy." Edward just smiled at me.

"Surly you're teasing me," he chuckled. That rankled a bit. Why would I tease him about something like that? In fact, this whole week, when I expressed some opinion he disagreed with he said that. Like, that explained why I would think something differently than him.

"Why would I tease you about that?" I finally voiced aloud. "I thought the film was brilliant. The costumes were gorgeous and I love that he pulled the story up a few centuries. It shows that Shakespeare's plays are timeless and applicable to all time periods."

"Isabella, it was never as Shakespeare intended. His plays should be kept in their original format in the original period," he explained to me like I was a child. And he was still calling me Isabella even though Jake had told him how much it irritated me.

"How do you know what Shakespeare intended?" I asked, pulling out of his arms as we were snuggled up on their entertainment room couch. "Did you know him personally?"

"Come on, be serious," he chuckled again, but his eyes lost some of their mirth.

"I am being serious. I concluded from the research I did on Shakespeare for my research paper last year, that he'd be pleased that his plots and stories were being updated to fit the times. He was edgy and had a wonderful sense of humor. You can tell that by watching his comedies. And," I continued on, "if we follow your line of thinking, we shouldn't be watching his plays as movies at all. We should only watch them as stage plays."

"I agree with that," Edward said with a straight face. "They should only be performed on a stage."

"Well that's just stupid," I blurted out. "It's not even feasible in this day and age. By making them into movies—and more time appropriate settings like Baz Lurhmann's _Romeo and Juliet_ —it can reach audiences that would typically not like or understand Shakespeare. Dude was a genius turning the Montagues and the Capulets into gangs in an urban setting like LA."

"Dude? Really, Bella, now you're just being silly," he tried to laugh, but I saw the muscle flex in his jaw. His aversion to slang used to be endearing, but now it seemed borderline pretentious.

"I'm being silly because I used the word _dude_? That doesn't invalidate my argument," I returned.

"Yes, it does in a way. And anyone who doesn't understand the original language wouldn't understand the complexities of a love story like _Romeo and Juliet_ anyway," he asserted.

"But _Romeo and Juliet_ isn't a love story," I said. "It's a tragedy. Surely you know that." He had to know that. He was too intelligent to fall for the obvious mistake that most people make about two adolescents falling in _lust_ and acting foolishly to the detriment of everyone around them.

"Yes, _some_ people would classify it as a tragedy, but it is a love story at its heart," Edward said and his tone was tight and almost insistent.

"No, _scholars_ classify it as a tragedy because that is the genre that _Shakespeare_ himself put it in. They _die_ , Edward. Their impetuous actions based on Romeo's libido lead them to make rash decisions that causes everyone around them pain. He was at the Capulets to hook up with Rosaline, for pity heaven's sake. Romeo was _distracted_ by Juliet who was too young to know better and then threatened by an arranged marriage. Then it eventually leads to their suicides. How selfish can you be? Seriously. You're not supposed to _die_ for love, you're supposed to _live_ for it."

"Are you saying that Juliet should have obeyed her father and married Paris? _That_ would have been a tragedy." He still had a slight grin on his face, and it felt patronizing.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. What I'm saying is that following emotional whims with no thought of the consequences can cause more pain and may not be worth it in the end. Don't put words in my mouth," I said.

"You are feisty, aren't you?" Edward said. "I never know what you're going to come out with next." The corner of his mouth hitched up in that crooked smile and my stomach jolted again as he leaned in and pushed me back so he was laying on top of me. Again, I forgot what I was angry about and all I could think about was the feel of his lips on my neck. "You say the funniest things to keep me on my toes."

He _still_ thought I was teasing him. He still thought his opinion was the only correct one. I was so irritated, but his kisses took my breath away. His lips moved up my neck and found mine. He hadn't kissed me like this since the school parking lot in front of Jake. That made me irritated all over again and brought me back to my senses.

"I'm not saying it to be funny, Edward. I'm saying it because it's actually how I feel," I said when he moved over to nibble on my ear. "Oh, god!" My eyes rolled back into my head that felt so good.

"I like it, Isabella. It's okay," he whispered into my ear. But that had finally done it. He'd called me Isabella one too many times. I pushed on his shoulders to get him away from me so he wasn't clouding my thoughts.

"I _know_ it's _okay_. I'm allowed to have my own opinions, Edward. It's _okay_ for us to disagree," I clarified. He rolled over onto his side so he was no long on top of me. "But I've asked you a number of times to _not_ call me Isabella. You seem to have forgotten that."

"But I like Isabella. It sounds so much more…mature," he smiled and tried to lean in again.

"But _I_ don't like it. I've told you that. _Jake_ told you that. Why do you insist on doing it?" I scrambled out from under him. He had some power over me when his lips were close to my neck and face. I needed to think clearly.

"What does _Jake_ have to do with it? Are you still talking to him?" he spat, looking angry. It sort of frightened me.

"No. I haven't talked to him since he fixed my truck. But I think I better head home," I said. "I'm upset now and I don't want to say something I don't mean."

"Maybe that's a good idea. I'll walk you out." He got up and held his hand out to help me. I didn't take it.

"That's not necessary. I can see myself out," I said, slipping my boots back on and zipping them up the sides.

"Bella, be serious," he said, beginning to follow me. I turned around and placed my hand on his chest to stop him.

"Oh, I am. Don't follow me outside, Edward." I left him with a dumbfounded look on his face. He really didn't think I was serious. I stopped by the front door to shrug on my coat, but it got caught on my hoodie. I felt someone help me and I got really irritated.

"I thought I told you not to—" I stopped short when I realized it was Emmett.

"I sure do you like you Bella Swan. And that makes me sad," he grinned.

"Why is that?" I asked, not hiding my irritation.

"Because that means I won't be seeing much more of you. And that is a shame. You take care of yourself and keep being you." I didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"I'll try," I said. He opened the door for me and I walked through it.

"I'll make sure he doesn't follow you, even after you leave."

"What?" I asked. I was so confused. Why would Edward follow me after I left? "Whatever," I mumbled and headed to my truck.

That orange heap of metal reminded me, again, how much a missed Jake.

* * *

 **Give me lots of reviews and I'm post again when I update Theory of a Wolfman. ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:Thank you all for the nice response. :) Here's your reward.  
**

 **Enjoy this chapter. Mwuhahahahahahaaaa!**

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"God, you're so much better at that than Sam!" Leah growled. I latched onto her, sucking hard before I flicked my tongue across her clit rapidly. "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Yeah, I knew that would do it. Leah was predictable and easy to make cum. And I was right when I thought that Leah would let me practice my oral skills.

"God, Jake, just fuck me already. I'm totally gagging for it," she panted.

"I told you, I'll get you off as much as you want, but I'm not doing that." I pushed back from her and wiped my mouth.

"Why? Are you saving your precious virginity for Bella?" she scoffed. "When are you going to wake up, Black?" She pulled her skirt back down to cover herself up. "Love is a farce and you might as well get kicks where you can."

"I don't know who I'm saving it for," I returned. "But it's going to be someone who wants more from me than a good orgasm."

"You don't seem to mind too much when I'm sucking you off."

"I don't mind very much when I'm eating you out, either. But that's not the same," I tried to explain.

"Do you think Bella is going to understand the difference? She won't, you know." I got up off the floor in front of her and went to sit in the recliner—away from her.

"What are you talking about?" I asked getting irritated. I hated it when Leah brought up Bella after we'd fooled around.

"Most girls see oral sex as being even more personal than regular sex. She won't understand the difference you're trying to justify in your mind." She smirked at me. "So you might as well do the deed and get some enjoyment out of it."

"I have been enjoying this," I returned. "Are you saying your oral skills are lacking? I haven't had much experience other than you, but you've kept me pretty happy."

"Ah, that's so sweet. But that's nothing compared to fucking. Come on, Jake. You're dad's gonna be gone for at least another two hours trying to win back his money you know he lost in the first ten minutes of the poker game." She lifted her skirt again suggestively and slid off the couch and crawled across the floor towards me. My dick twitched at the sight. She knew how to get my engine running, and could finish me off. But I didn't want my first time to be with someone I didn't love.

Maybe she was right and Bella wouldn't see the distinction. Maybe I should stop this thing all together…whatever it was. Leah'd made her way over to me and was unbuttoning my jeans.

"I bet I can change your mind," she hummed. Her hand rubbed against me and I was already hard.

"I bet you could, too. But making my dick hard isn't that challenging of a task for you," I said, stopping her hand from dipping inside my jeans. "I don't want to give that to you. What don't you understand about that?"

She stopped and looked up at me. For the first time since we'd begun this arrangement I saw a soft side of Leah. She hadn't expected me to reject her. It was about that time I heard Bella's truck pull up the drive way.

"Fine. Fuck you, Black. Or not. Save yourself for the selfish bitch who will never see you for any more than a two-bit rez cockroach who's going nowhere." I'd hurt Leah. Just like Bella said I would.

Fuck.

"Leah, wait," I tried. I wanted to explain to her, but I didn't quite understand it myself. "You're the one who said no strings attached, remember?"

"Yeah, well I was wrong," Leah spat. She looked out the window and noticed Bella stumbling out of her truck. "Perfect. The ice queen shows up here. Guess it's a good thing you didn't take me up on my offer. Fuck! My shoes are in the kitchen!" She stomped off to the kitchen just as Bella came in the front door without knocking. Luckily I'd just gotten my pants zipped up again.

"Bells?" I was a little surprised when she just came in even though she'd done it since we were little.

"Jake, I'm sorry to barge in on you. I just really need to talk to someone," she said. I could tell she'd been crying.

"Fuck, where are my underwear?" Leah called from the other room. She _had_ to know Bella was in the house by now. She emerged from the kitchen and smirked at Bella's stunned look plastered across her face. "Ah, couch." Leah walked over and picked up her panties that I'd flung next to her in our early frenzy and slid them up her legs, not caring that she flashed both of us a shot of her ass.

"Hey, _Bells_ ," Leah sneered her name. "What's up?"

Fuck.

"I'm sorry," Bella stuttered. "I…I didn't realize that you'd be…"

"What? Busy? Like all he has to do in life is wait around for you to call?" Leah turned from scolding Bella back to me. "Make sure you go wash my stink off your chin, baby."

"I'm sorry, I should go," Bella said and turned towards the door.

"Bella, what did you need? I haven't seen you in over a week. You said you needed someone to talk to."

"No, I'm sorry. I just thought that…" she hiccupped. "I can't…" and she ran out the door that was still open, back to her truck.

Leah cackled and fell back onto the couch. "Oh my, that was fun!"

"What the fuck, Leah? Couldn't you see she was upset?" I screeched in a very unmanly manner.

"Bella? Bella was upset? What about me? Can't you see that I'm fuckin' upset, Jacob? Fuck Bella Swan. She's never brought you anything but pain." She stopped to reconsider what she said. "I guess Bella won't fuck you, so never mind, then," she chuckled at herself. I totally didn't understand.

"What the fuck is your deal, Leah? _You_ attacked me all those weeks ago. _You_ started this arrangement _begging_ for no strings attached. _You_ went down on me first. And I returned _every_ favor. There is no reason you should be pissed with me."

"And that shows how very little you know about women." And she turned around and left.

Obviously. I knew shit.

Fuck.

There was no way I was going to tell Embry about this.

* * *

 **A/N: New thoughts? This is a Jake/Bella story for those of you who are worried. And I'm a strong believer in the HEA.**

 **You still with me, rude guest reviewer? Paul doesn't care either way. Well, neither do I.  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So it's spring break and I'm wrapping this story up and I thought I'd shoot you a mid-week chapter. Rereading my last rant, I realize I may have been a little stressed the few days before my spring break. Graded were due and the kids were cray cray. But I stand by what I said. I'm not changing the story because people don't like the direction.**

 **With that being said, I do enjoy criticism if you offer it constructively. My purpose for writing fanfic is to improve. If you've read any of my other stories from my other pen name, Aretee, I hope you can see a drastic improvement. My beta, MarinaNamaste, has played a big part in that. I give her thanks.**

 **My Bella gets better soon. Unfortunately that means my Edward gets worse, here we go.**

* * *

"Bella, please come over for lunch. I'm sorry about the other night. Please, I'm begging you. Come see me. It's been two days," I pleaded into the phone.

"I don't know Edward. I'm so confused right now," she said. She sounded so forlorn. All I wanted to do was gather her up in my arms and make her feel better.

"Well, give me a chance to apologize and help you. Please." I'd try to see her at her house yesterday, but her father wouldn't let me past the door. I could tell he didn't like me, and I had no idea why. We hadn't been properly introduced so I took yesterday as an opportunity to do so.

"Sir, I'm Edward Cullen. I'm dating your daughter and I'm very concerned about her," I'd said when he opened the door a mere crack.

"I know who you are, and Bella is _my_ concern, not yours," he grumbled.

"Well, sir, we had a disagreement last night and I wanted to come and apologize to Bella, properly. Do you think I could see her for just a few moments?"

"No. She says she doesn't want to see anyone. Not you. Not Jacob. Now kindly leave my porch." I was stunned. My father would never have behaved in such an unseemly manner. I did as he asked, because I wanted to appear to be compliant and not make any more waves than necessary.

"Yes sir. Please tell Bella that I am truly sorry if I upset her and to call me when she feels ready."

"I'll leave her that message," he said. His eyes flashed to his right side and I suspected that Bella was standing right next to him. That pleased me. Women had to work things out in their own way. I had done my part and appeared contrite. Now I just had to let that sink in.

She had called me this morning, but she still wouldn't agree so see me. "Bella, please. My mother is making your favorite, mushroom ravioli. Just let me make it up to you. I miss you," I added to clinch the deal.

"What time?" she asked, her voice resigned.

"Four? Can you be here in an hour? I really can't wait to see you. I'm so sorry. And I miss you more than I can express in words." I hoped I sounded contrite.

"Yes, I'll be there, Edward. But we have to talk. It can't be you just smiling at me like a goof when I have a different opinion. And no kissing. You mess me up in the head when you kiss me," she admitted.

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?" I asked trying to convey a joking tone.

"No," I could hear a smile in her voice, "it's a very good thing except when I'm trying to make a point. I miss you, too, Edward. But I'm serious."

"Can I kiss you after we talk?" I asked.

"Maybe," she sighed. She was being coy.

"Okay, then. I'll see you in an hour." I placed my phone on my bed beside me and looked at Emmett who was standing in my doorway.

"You won't keep her, you know. Not the way you want," he said.

"Why are you always so concerned with my love life, dear brother? It's kind of creepy." I got up to take a quick shower so I could be fresh and smell nice for my Isabella.

"I'm not concerned with you. I'm concerned about the girls you date." He used air quotes when he said date. "You're a creepy stalker and I worry about their wellbeing. Mom and dad may be in denial about how controlling you are, but I am not."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, opening my drawer to retrieve clean undergarments. I straightened out the rows of socks.

"Your incessant need to control everything, including their opinions on Shakespeare. You have some scary tendencies and you refuse to acknowledge it, so I keep an eye out for them."

"Again, I have no idea what you're talking about." I pushed my drawer closed. Emmett stepped in my room, opened the drawer and proceeded to mess up the entire drawer by unfolding my undershirts, boxers, and upending all the socks from their neat rows.

"What are you doing you idiot?" I balked. "I just fixed those!"

"If you can leave that drawer just like that until Bella gets here, I will leave the two of you alone." He raised his hands as if he was surrendering.

"I don't have to take this from you. You are a complete idiot. Why don't you move out and take care of yourself instead of being overly concerned about what I am doing every minute of my day!"

"You can't do it, can you? You can't," he stated firmly. "Women and relationships are messy and you can't force them into neat rows. If you continue to treat Bella as your inferior and not taking her and her thoughts seriously, you're going to lose her. And she's the best one you've ever brought home."

"Do you have a hardon for my girlfriend?" I asked. I hated being so crude and I hated using such language, but I knew it would make a point. He just smiled a licentious smile and chuckled.

"No, I'm not into high school chicks, Edward. I'm twenty-four. But I do admire her spunk and I hope she doesn't lose it in an effort to please you. And I hope you finally realize that women who submit their will in all things are not the kind of women you really want."

"Are you done yet, Emmett? I really need to take a shower." I was growing weary of his relationship advice. His relationship with his girlfriend was tumultuous at best. Rosalie was completely unbridled and I never understood his attraction to her.

"Yep. Go jack off in the shower so you don't lose control while she's here," he chuckled as he walked away. I was mortified and tried really hard not to show it. Did he watch me in the shower as well? There was no way he could know what I did in there. I decided he was just talking to hear himself talk.

I did need a release, though. I would just never admit to Emmett that he was right.

In my mind, I could call her Isabella all I liked.

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 **Thoughts?**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: To Guest reviewer who asked why Jake is so dumb: Ummm, he's a teenaged boy who driven by hormones with little understanding of how girls' emotions work? That's the point of the story. Glad you're mad at him. That was the point.**

 **You know what I find beautiful about writing fiction? It's an outlet. A vent. I repress so many comments and emotions in my daily life because I have to adult all the time. All. The. Time. The beautiful thing about fanfiction is that I get to take characters I already know and love and manipulate them to hone my writing skills. And, in doing so, I can vent all the things I repress all day long. I am a 40-something high school teacher who sees adolescent behavior all day long. I know it. I live it. I try to model appropriate behavior for them so they learn how to act like adults someday. That takes a lot of work and it's emotionally taxing. That's why teachers live for their breaks. I also live for my fiction. It's the vent. I can have my characters say and do things that I would never say and do in real life. It's cathartic. I also try to do so with proper capitalization and punctuation.**

 **Thank you for bearing with my little vents.**

 **MarinaNamaste, my beta, she gets more of the vents. She's great. Thanks to her for ideas and fattening.**

* * *

 _Bella plz! meet me after skool. PLZ!_

It'd been another week and I'd ignored Jake since I walked in on him and Leah. She'd called him baby and told him to wipe her _stink_ off his chin. Then she put her underwear back on in front of _both_ of us. Gah!

Why did that bother me so much? I didn't know why the thought of Jake and Leah together made me grit my teeth until they hurt. I couldn't talk to Jacob about any of this until I figured out my own feelings. I didn't even know why I was angry with him.

So I ignored him.

"Who's that?" Edward asked, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered into it. We'd made up on Sunday when I went for lunch at his house, but everything was…different.

And I couldn't put my finger on why.

"Jake, again," I answered. He'd already seen the text so I couldn't lie.

"You're still not answering him, huh?" he said with a satisfied tone. "I feel for the guy. It's got to be hard being cut out of your life." He was too close and hovered more. I never felt like I could get air.

Jake never did that to me. God, I missed him.

"I haven't cut him out of my life," I answered a little too loudly. Mr. Banner looked over at us. We were doing a lab and Mr. Banner typically left Edward and me alone since we were at the top of the class. "I just haven't responded to him in a week. I just don't know how to…"

"You mean you still _want_ to talk to him after you walked in on his…you know…activities?" he asked, sounding incredulous in a harsh whisper.

"Well yeah. I told you, Edward, he's _family_. I may be upset, but I'm not just going to cut him out of my life. We'll make it through this and be better friends when it's all said and done," I said actually looking at him as to convey my point.

"Bella, be serious," he said. And there it was _again_. I'd just about had it. Even after our long and exhausting talk on Sunday about how I'm going to have my own opinions and he never had to agree, but he had to try to see my point, he was still pulling the _Bella be serious_ bit.

"What part of that do you think I'm not being serious about?" I asked. I caught him off guard and his mouth dropped open and then closed again.

"Well, about hanging out with someone who is so loose with his morals, for one. And let's not forget how much he's hurt you in the past few weeks. Wouldn't it be best…" his voice was louder and his eyes flicked to Mr. Banner before he lowered it again, "if you just stopped before he can hurt you anymore?" I just stared back at him. I didn't know how he could say something like that. Maybe he didn't have any close friends.

"I've known Jacob up my whole life. I've been dating you for maybe three weeks," I hissed under my breath. I saw his jaw clench like it did when I said something he didn't like. He rarely said anything; he just tried to control what I did. "I hope you don't turn this into a choice between you and him." His eyes bounced back between mine as if he were trying to assess how serious I was about my statement.

"Plus he's my mechanic," I added, just to see how he reacted. He'd become more and more vocal about how much he disapproved of my truck.

"I wish you see reason about that, too," he mumbled under his breath.

"That's it," I said and packed up my book bag.

"What's it?" Edward asked, watching me disbelievingly. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving." I was going to go home and talk to Charlie. It was about time I get some sound advice from someone who had his head on straight. I didn't care how embarrassing it was. If I talked to him in a professional capacity, he'd handle it that way.

"Bella, be—"

"If you tell me to be serious one more time I'm going to beat you with my shoe. I am dead serious. I am leaving." His mouth opened again while he thought of what to say. He looked out the window.

"Look, it's pouring down rain, just like the last time you ditched," he tried, lamely. "I remember that I was soaked and it ruined my shirt."

"Nnnnoooo," I drawled out slowly. "It wasn't raining the last time I skipped," I insisted. "Jake came to help me with my truck and I remember thinking how grateful I was that the downpour had stopped. In fact, I waited inside the building until the rain slowed a little before I headed out and it stopped completely."

I looked at him and something Jake said clicked in my brain. He would have gotten soaked if he was out there disconnecting my battery cables. I'd always wondered what he was doing in the parking lot that day. He was silent again and his jaw was clenched. Busted.

"What are you going to tell Mr. Banner?" Edward blustered. He wasn't really attractive when he was defensive.

"Nothing. I'm just going to leave."

"Well…" he stuttered, "he's going to call your father." He looked triumphant like that would change my mind. Why had I never noticed how whiny he sounded?

"Not before I call him and ask him to meet me at home," I countered. "I actually want to talk to him and soon. Good bye, Edward."

And I left.

I pulled out my phone and shot Edward a text so he wouldn't worry too much.

 _I'll call you tonight after I figure some things out. Sorry I seem so abrupt._

Then, I called Charlie while I watched the rain fall through the windows of doors at the front of the school. It went straight to his voicemail. He was probably in a meeting.

"Hey dad. It's Bells. I'm leaving school early because I really need to get out of here and clear my head. I really need to talk to you so I hope you can leave a little early and meet me at home. Sorry for skipping school, I just couldn't be here right now. Don't worry. I'm alright and it's not an emergency. I hope there's nothing too pressing at the office. Well, love you. Bye." I hated leaving messages. I always felt like I babbled.

I pushed through the double doors and ran to the truck as the rain never let up. I could see through the back window that someone was sitting in the cab of the truck in the passenger seat. It wasn't big enough to be Jake, though, and I couldn't think of who else it would be. I pulled open the driver's side door, climbed in and pulled it closed quickly.

"Hey _Bells_ ," she sneered. I didn't like it when Leah used my nickname. She made it sound like a joke.

"What are you doing here, Leah?" I asked. I still had a mental image of her pulling her panties up over her bare ass in Jake's living room.

"Relieving my guilt," she mumbled. Even though I heard her, I didn't understand.

"What?" I asked. I just wanted to get home.

"Look, what you walked in on last week, it was nothing. Or at least I'd convinced Jake that it was nothing. And I made it seem like more than what it was." She got straight to the point, but I could tell she was uncomfortable.

"It doesn't matter. I don't own Jake. He can do what he wants," I said, putting the key in the ignition to start the truck. The windows were all fogged up and it was chilly.

"But you do. That's the fucking problem. You're so fucking oblivious. Shit! You have his heart and this not talking to him is making him miserable. Please, at least text him back and tell him to get over it if you don't ever want to see him again," she pleaded. I was shocked.

"What?" It was all I could manage. She wasn't making any sense. "I don't have his heart. He's fooling around with you."

"Isabella Swan, you need to pull your fucking head out of your ass and think. He's _fooling around_ with me because he can't _have_ you. You're off dating some rich douche bag and his heart is bleeding. I was a horny mess and attacked him—on multiple occasions. But he flat out refused to fuck me and he's also cut me off. Which makes me bitchier than ever and," she looked down at the floorboard, "I feel shittier than ever."

"What?" I asked again. I was so confused.

"Fuck, you should be a blonde. Let me simplify it so you can get it through your fucking thick skull." She pointed to her temple. "He won't fuck me because of some romantic notion that the first time should be for love and he cut me off because I pointed out that you wouldn't distinguish the difference between messing around and dating." Well, she was right about that. "I chose him _because_ he was in love with you and things wouldn't get…messy. Quil and Embry would have…" she stopped to shudder. "Never mind. I chose Jake because he was emotionally attached to someone else. But that seems to have blown up in both off our faces. So I thought I would come and spill the beans to you and let the chips fall where they may. And I need to leave before I add anymore cheesy clichés to this fucking conversation. Just know that he loves you; he's too chicken shit to say anything to you; and he's cut me off for any more—what I like to call therapy sessions—make out sessions because of you. There, I'm done. Do what you want with that info." And without any other gesture she left.

And there I sat in my cold, fogged up truck in a confused stupor.

Jake was in love with me.

That _is_ what he meant that day.

I really needed to talk to Charlie.

* * *

 **So?**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So, my reviews were down a little, but I got a bunch of new readers...on both my stories. So thanks! I'm depressed about being back in school. So I thought I post again to give you another update. Treat my right and I'll do another Friday morning...because I WON'T be at school!**

 **This is a bit angsty, still. Bear with me.**

* * *

 _fine bella b that way. Im dun. u obviously dont give a shit so neither do i_

I mashed the send button before I could think about it much longer. I can't believe she'd throw away a lifetime of friendship over a douchebag she'd known for a month. I'd begged her to see me after school. Now it was nine o'clock at night and I still hadn't heard one single word from her.

I couldn't keep taking this kind of rejection.

I texted Leah.

 _wat r u doin_

I knew she wouldn't reject me.

 _lookin online 4 dildos since u wont give me ne_

She still knew how to make me chuckle.

 _cum over_

I thought I was pretty clever. I was finally going to give her what she wanted. I thought it might be a great way to blow off steam.

 _fuck u_

 _thats what im proposing_

 _nope_

 _y_

 _b cuz u luv bella. give her some time_

 _i thought u didnt beleve in that shit_

 _give her time shell cum around 2 u_

 _ru fuckin kidding me?! ur rejecting me 2?_

FUCK!

 _no just realizing u r rite thus my online shopping_

I couldn't fucking believe this. She practically begged me the other day. _Begged_ me. And now she was telling me no?

 _watever fuck u 2_

I didn't know what to think. Maybe I could go to a bar on the rez and pick up a girl to fuck. There had to be some girl somewhere who wouldn't reject me.

I'd just decided to get in my crappy car and drive to Port Angeles to pick up some woman even if I had to pay her when my phone rang. I looked up at the ceiling as if the spirits heard my thoughts.

"I wouldn't have paid anyone. FUCK!" I said aloud as if the spirits could hear me.

I slid my thumb over the screen answering the call before I even looked at who it was.

"I told her today," Leah's voice blared through the phone.

"Told who what?" I growled into the phone, not knowing what the fuck she was talking about.

"I told the Ice Queen how you feel and that the whole thing between us was my fault," she paused when I gasped, but then kept going. "I know you're gonna be pissed right now, but I really think she'll come around. You're a great guy, which is the other reason I came to you in the first place. And Jake, she really, literally had no fucking clue. Give her a few days to figure it out."

"You had no right—" I started but she cut me off. I was going to really lay into her. Why did everyone think they knew what was better for me than I did?

"What the fuck ever. I've seen your balls and it's time you used them—and on the right girl. Jake, I'm going to be a bitch again tomorrow so you better take advantage of this now."

"You're a fucking bitch right now," I ground out, and rubbing my hand through my hair. I'd skipped a shower today. My hair was greasy and I was so ripe I could smell myself. I was a fuckin' mess.

"No I'm not. You had your chance the other day and turned it down. I'm flattered you thought of me tonight, but hold it together for a while longer," Leah prompted. I sighed. "Just…you know…chill, Jake."

I didn't even say goodbye. I just hung up. What else was there to say? Leah wasn't going to hear it and the damage was already done. When I looked at my phone I saw that a text had come in while I was talking to Leah and I hadn't noticed.

Fuck, it was Bella.

 _Jake. I'm sorry. I turned my phone off and just turned it back on. I've been talking to Charlie. Can I come see you?_

I didn't know what to think. Could Leah have actually helped me? There was a knock at the door and I looked up from the phone. I sent off the reply to Bella just as Quil burst in the door.

"What the fuck, dude? You skipped school today," he declared like I didn't already know. "I brought your homework, like you're actually going to do it," he added sarcastically.

"Man, I'm not in the mood. I've had an ultra shitty day."

"You need Leah to come over to _blow_ off some steam," he asked and waggled his eyebrows up and down.

"Fuck you, Quil. Everything's fucked up right now. Thank you for bringing my work, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave now." I plopped back down on the couch.

"Dude," he tried again. I'd called him the other night because I to get some male perspective on the estrogen fueled shit that went down between Leah and Bella. I realized that Quil just played dumb most of the time, but he was a pretty deep thinker. But I had my own deep thinking to do at that moment.

"Please, Quil. I just need to be alone right now."

"Good luck with that," he said, looking out the window. "Bella just pulled up."

* * *

 **A/N: So?**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: It's gonna get a little worse before it gets better. But I'm and HEA girl. Bear with me.**

 **MarinaNamaste is my beta, whom I've never met in RL, but she sticks with me. Thanks, M. Go read her HEA, Runaways. (Yes, it's a shameless plug, get over it.)**

* * *

"I told you not to come," he bellowed at me as I hopped out of the truck. I'd received his text when I was halfway to La Push. I'd purposely sent mine after I left so I wouldn't chicken out. I didn't expect this reaction, though.

"But Jake," I tried, "I already drove all the way down here. And you asked me to come earlier. I just got busy and couldn't text you back right away." I'd made it to the steps of the front porch and he was blocking the entrance to the house. Puffs of cold air escaped my mouth as the rain dripped down on my head.

"Right Bella. You're _always_ too busy for me. And I don't need you to come here in person to 'let me down easy.'" He made little quotation marks with his fingers. I didn't know what he was talking about. "I already know that Leah already called you and told you everything. Well, I'll get over it. I've been getting over it for years." His whole frame shook with anger and, if I didn't know him better, he'd be a truly menacing presence.

"But Jake, I just—" I tried again. I needed to get this out fast so he could listen to reason. He thought I was here to reject him.

"Forget it, _Isabella_. Go back to Edward and things he can _buy_ you. I know I'm just a lowly rez rat who will never go anywhere, so you'd be better off to hook your horses to a better wagon," he gave me one more scathing look, turned on his heel, and went into the house. Quil had followed him out onto the porch and jumped a little when the door slammed shut.

What. The. Hell?

I'd never, ever, said anything about where he was from and where he was going. He was going to get an athletic scholarship and go to college.

"Shit," Quil said calmly, "I was hoping he'd give me a ride home since it's raining so hard. But," he turned around to look at the door and shook his head, "I am _not_ going back in there."

I barely heard what he said because unbidden sobs wracked my body as I fell on my knees on the steps of the front porch. Quil rushed to my side and helped me up and guided me to my truck. He opened the driver's side door and nudged me to scoot over so he could drive. I don't know if he said anything or tried to hug and comfort me because I was inconsolable and a wet snotty mess.

Quil only lived about a ten minute walk from Jake's place and the drive was much shorter, but I don't know how long I sat blubbering in the cab of the truck. The pain and rejection shredded my heart and then I thought about what Jake must have been dealing with for who knows how long and then he had to listen to me brag about kissing Edward.

Shit! No wonder he never wanted to hear about it. That had to be so hard. The thought that I had hurt him a fraction of what I was feeling right then only made me cry harder and begin the whole stupid thought cycle again.

The slam of the truck door is what brought my attention back to the present. He handed me a box of Klee-nex.

"My mom could see you from the house and was worried," he said a little sheepishly. I blew my nose several times and used another mound of tissues to dry my red and swollen eyes.

"Thank you," I finally managed to get out. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

"Bells, don't worry about it. I think he just hit a breaking point today. He didn't even go to school today, and Jake never skips. He's the one who keeps me and Embry on track," he said. "He didn't mean what he said. He _really_ wants his friend back. I _know_ he does."

"But I don't. I want more than that, Quil," I confessed in a shaky tone. "I just spent the last two hours convincing my now ex-boyfriend I was seriously breaking up with him. I admitted to Edward that I have strong feelings for Jake and now Jake doesn't want me!" I wailed. Why was I telling Quil this? My sobbing started all over again. "Shit! What am I going to do?" I asked, pulling another wad of unused tissues from the box and blowing my nose loudly.

"Do you want Edward back if Jake doesn't pull his head out of his ass?" Quil asked. His question brought me up short and I stopped crying almost immediately. The past two hours convinced me that I had totally done the right thing by dumping him. Edward's simpering and pleading extinguished any regret I may have had about ending things with him.

"No," I stated firmly. "No, I don't. He is _so_ not what I thought he was nor is he what I want." Quil considered me for a few seconds.

"Then you need to give Jake some time to cool off. If you don't, he's going to say even more stupid shit and it'll take longer to fix," Quil shook his head like he pitied him.

"I know. I'm his best friend, too," I said in a totally whiny and defensive voice. I was his best friend and I didn't see what was right in front of my face. "How have I been so stupid and blind? How could I not know he had feelings for me?" I asked. He didn't even think about that. It's like he had the answer prepared.

"I have no idea. He was always affectionate with you, held your hand, he took you places and paid. Fuck, Bella, you were the datiest non-couple any of us knew. _Your_ head has been up your ass, too. He should have told you, I guess. But I really think you ignored somethings for a really long time. And that is on you. He never hid his emotions—we all saw it every damn time he looked at you. But he never _confessed_ them either."

Quil's words were blunt and to the point. And they hurt. But I needed to hear it. When I thought back over how we were with each other it was totally obvious to me. I figured I fell for him a long time ago, too, but it was so gradual and all-consuming I didn't realize it.

"So all that anger I felt towards Leah…" I said aloud.

"Pure jealousy I'd wager," he guessed with a smile.

"But he won't talk to me," I whined again. Quil grinned at me. "What?"

"Jake's right. You are sexy when you pout," Quil said and I blushed. His face turned serious again and he added, "give him a day. Let him calm down. Call him tomorrow after school."

I chewed my bottom lip. I didn't want to wait. Now that I knew how much I liked kissing, and how much I liked/loved Jake. I wanted to kiss Jake. A question bubbled up before I could stop it.

"He really wouldn't fuck Leah?" I asked, hope lacing my tone.

"Nope. It really, really pissed her off. You saw her right after he turned her down."

That made so much sense—the timing.

Jake and I had some things to work out, but for the first time in a month, I was thinking clearly.

But not clearly enough to see Edward's car following me back to my house.

* * *

 **A/N: So, did I piss anyone off? Mwahahahahahahahahaaaaa!**

 **Tell me what you think.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hey guys! This story is wrapping up soon. Thought I'd throw you a hump day chapter.**

 **MarinaNamaste is my beta. I give her thanks for all her help. Her story, Runaways, is heating up right now. She posts on Fridays.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"Bella you owe me at least ten minutes," I said in the kindest tone I could muster. I refrained from calling her Isabella in order to placate her. Kids shuffled past us in the warm, rare sun and the smell of exhaust filled my nose as cars filtered out of the lot in the late afternoon.

"Edward, no. I need to get home and I'm going to La Push." Her eyes flashed with anger as she challenged me. She was so beautiful when she challenged me, but it made me so angry at the same time. It was like she was pretending like she didn't know the end of the story. But I knew that all great love stories had their challenges. Jacob Black was ours.

"Bella, be reasonable. You can't go back there. He'll just hurt you again. Wasn't Charlie a little concerned when you came home so late last night?" She had to know I worried about her as much as her father. More, it seemed. He let her run positively wild.

"I left your house at eight, Edward," she said with a suspicious tone. "And Charlie knew where I was." I noted her omission about going to La Push later. I had a sneaking feeling that after she tried to break things off with me she'd run back that over grown Neanderthal.

I _had_ to follow her to keep her safe since her father didn't see the danger of _that_ friendship. If you could call it that. His feelings for her were so obvious and she was so oblivious to it. Like he'd know how to treat a woman like Bella, anyway. _I_ was the Romeo and he was the Paris.

"So Charlie knew that you left the house to go to La Push so late?" I asked, trying to illustrate to her just how careless her father could be.

"He's the one who told me to go, Edward. And how do you know I went to La Push after I came home?" Something had clicked in her mind and a new awareness was settling in. Good.

"Well I followed you, of course," she needed to see the lengths I'd go to see that she was safe and cared for.

"Why would you do that?" Bella's eyes flashed towards her truck. That pathetic, orange death trap.

"To keep you safe, Isabella. I have to keep you safe." A wave of fear crossed her face. Good, she was beginning to see the threat this Jacob person was to her life. "Your friend, Jacob, is not good for you. I can tell he frightens you. He is reckless with your feelings. And let's not discuss the cliff diving event again." My heart almost stopped when she told me what those heathens did down there for fun. Bella was looking at her phone and I watched her hit send on a text.

"Edward, Jake doesn't scare me. I told you that Jake and I will be just fine after we fix this. It's _you_ that scares me." She took a step away from me.

"Me? Why on earth would I scare you?"

"Have you been following me?" she asked is a breathy whisper. Her ivory skin was a lovely shade, bespeaking her delicacy. She needed protection.

"Of course," I replied. "I like to know where you are, that you're safe." She was acting strange all of a sudden. She was acting as if _I_ was the threat.

"Is that what Emmett meant that day? That he'd keep you from following me?" She said it aloud, but she was almost talking to herself. It looked like it really bothered her. I hated that my brother was always in my business.

"When did you talk to Emmett? What did he say?"

"That day we fought about _Romeo and Juliet_ , he said he was really going to miss me. And that he'd try to keep you from following me. Edward, how often do you follow me?" She had her phone in hand and her thumb was typing a text. It was amazing to me that kids these days could text without looking at their cell phones. It was something I didn't want to perfect, though I knew I _could_ if I tried.

"Bella, we're dating. It's my job to see you home."

"No, Edward, we broke up last night. And we were _just_ dating. We weren't _married_. It's my _father's_ job to see that I'm safe. And that is something he does very well. He is the _Chief_ of the _police_ force." She was stressing words and speaking slowly like I was an imbecile.

"Bella, you're confused. I know what you said last night and that's why I want to go back to my house and talk about this." I just had to get her back to my house and I could show her how I felt about her. I could show her my collection and finally show her, physically, how I felt. I just had to get her to my house. I had to convince her how devoted I am to her.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she said and this time I heard the fear in her voice. She was afraid of me. "I need to go…somewhere," she looked jerkily around the parking lot. "…away from you." She turned to go and I caught her arm near her truck.

"Isabella, please." I pulled her close, turned her, and pressed her up against her truck. "I really need to talk to you. There are some things I really need to show you." The parking lot was deserted.

"Edward, no. You're scaring me. Please let me go." My anger consumed me. She was not going to ruin my weeks—no months—of hard work so she could run off to La Push with some steroid infused meathead.

"No. You're coming with me and you're going to listen to what I have to say and see what I have prepared for you." My hand gripped her wrist tightly and she winced. I was sorry to cause her pain, but I had to get my point across. I had to be steadfast and assertive. "I've spent, oh, so much time. Please indulge me."

"Edward, you're hurting me," she whimpered. "Please let me go."

"Come with me, then. I can never let you go," I admitted. I hoped she heard the sincerity in my voice. The earnestness of my feelings could not be repressed. I looked down at her into her decadent chocolate eyes brimming with unshed tears. She did feel the same as me. She was overcome with emotion.

"Edward, I can't. Please, let me go. Please," she pleaded. Her voice was heavy and laden with fear. It belied her feelings.

"Bella, asking me to let you go is like asking me to stop breathing. I love you too much to let you go. Can't you see how perfect we are together?" She shook her head. "It would be careless of me. You should know by now that I am anything but careless. If I could just make you see."

With her body against her truck, I pushed against her hoping to show her how strongly I felt. It was crude and base, but she had to know. I lowered my head to kiss her. I could show her in a kiss, like the song said.

But she turned her head away.

"Bella!" I growled. "What is wrong with you?" She squirmed under my weight like she was trying to get loose. She was trying to get away from me and I couldn't understand why.

"Edward. We. Broke. Up." She punctuated each word again, like I was an idiot.

"Why do keep saying that?" What was I doing wrong?

"Because I don't want to be with you, Edward. I explained this to you. I want to be with Jake!" she shrieked and her tears spilled down her lovely, flushed cheeks. How could someone saying such horrible things have such lovely cheeks?

"Come on, Isabella, be…"

"I. Am. Serious!" she screamed. "I am BELLA! And I want JAKE!"

Something in me just snapped. I grabbed her other wrist and wrapped them both tightly around the back of her. She was pressed up against my chest, her breasts heaving and rubbing against me. I could feel her desire, see it in the sharp intake of her breath that made her lovely breasts bounce and slide against me. She was soft and pliant and felt good against my body. I pressed into her more, tightening my grip on her wrists and bent down to whisper to her.

"Quit saying such ridiculous things," I hissed in her ear. "You're going to come with me and experience everything I have prepared for you. Now." I tried to keep the edge out of my voice. She was ruining everything with her obstinate behavior. I wasn't going to allow her to ruin all my carefully laid plans. "Let's go." I started pulling her towards my car.

"Edward, no!" she shrieked and her voice filled with real terror. It only made me angrier. She was the one who was making this so difficult. She was struggling and trying to pull away from me. She was so small, so her efforts were utterly fruitless.

"Bella you have to stop. You have to calm down or you're going to ruin everything. Stop!" My grip tightened on her wrists and I shook her. We were on the passenger side of my car and with the way she was protesting, I didn't know if she'd stay in the car if I opened the door for her and then went around to the driver's side.

"No! Edward! Don't! No! I don't want to go with you!" One of her hands broke free and she swung it up and her fist caught my jaw. I reacted before I knew what I was doing. My palm smacked across her face and she stopped in stunned silence. It was at that same time a car came to a screeching stop right behind Bella's truck and all hell broke loose.

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 **Thoughts?**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I didn't make you wait too long. Thanks for all the notes and comments. :)  
**

 **MarinaNamaste is my beta. She really helped with this chapter.**

 **Enjoy.**

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I just held her while she shook like a leaf and cried. "Shhhh. Bells. It's over." I rocked her back and forth, whispering to her. I'd finally managed to calm myself down enough to help her.

I got her frantic text while I was at the drug store picking up a few things for dad. I couldn't ignore this one because Bells didn't cry wolf. If she asked for help, she needed it. I left my purchases on the counter and apologized to the clerk. I called Charlie as I sped to the high school and told him what she'd sent me.

When I pulled into the parking lot and saw that mother fucker slap her, all I saw was black rage. Before I was aware of what I was doing, Edward had been on the ground under me and Charlie was holding my fists back. It was like I'd woken up from a dream… or a nightmare. Bella was shrieking behind me and the lights of Charlie's patrol car screamed the urgency of the anger I felt.

I held her and combed my hands down her hair. It was really soft. "Shhhh, Bells. I'm sorry I hit him. I'm sorry I upset you. Shhhh." She pulled back from me and looked up at me. The cutest little look of shock on her face.

"You think I'm upset because you hit him?" She sniffled and wiped away one of her tears. I was sitting on the ground of the parking lot, Bella in my lap, while Charlie talked to Edward's family. We both flicked our eyes over to Edward, he was still in hand cuffs in the back of the squad car.

"Well, yeah," I answered her. "I just beat the shit out of your boyfriend." I knew now wasn't the time to talk to her about being with someone who was abusive. I was sure Charlie was going to get to that real good.

"Jake, I broke up with him last night. That's what I came to tell you." I was shocked and my jaw dropped with surprise. That's what fucking Quil was trying to tell me all day today. He'd been pestering the hell out of me to call her after school. I still hadn't decided if I was going to come see her when I got her text.

"That's what you were doing…when I accused you of putting everyone else first, you were breaking up with him?" I felt like an ass. Was she trying to make it so she could put me first? Fuck.

"Yes. But he didn't get the hint. He kept trying to get me to go with him." Her shoulders curved down with fear as she remembered the experience. She rocked back and forth a few times so I pulled her into my chest. She sobbed twice and then took a deep breath before she looked up me with those beautiful brown eyes full of pain, but something else. I tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear and she smiled.

"I told him I wanted to be with you." Hope. I recognized that look because I'd seen it in my own eyes so often. She sniffed again and buried her head into my chest. He'd hit her because she was trying to leave him. My blood boiled and my body shook with rage. But Bella in _my_ arms seemed to calm the urge to kill him for the time being.

"Bella," Charlie called. She squeaked as she jumped out of my lap. "I need you to come explain to me what happened." She looked up at me with terrified eyes.

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked. She nodded so I helped her up before I stood up behind her. She grabbed my hand and held on as if she it was her only link to the earth. Her grasp helped me reign in my anger. We followed Charlie to two rich people who could only be the douche's parents.

"Isabella," the polished blonde lady crooned with a simpering smile, "how are you?" Bella didn't answer. She burrowed into my side so I wrapped my arm around her. I didn't miss the look of disdain that rolled off the rich bitch when those heavily decorated eyes slid to me.

"Bells, can you tell Dr. and Mrs. Cullen what happened?" Charlie asked in his official police voice.

"Edward asked me to come over your house after school today and I told him no. He insisted and when I continued to refuse he grabbed my wrists." I gasped when she held up her wrists and there were bruises blooming around both of them. Fuck. I'd felt a little bad for going off on him as hard as I did. Not anymore.

"Isabella, is it possible that you misconstrued his intentions?" Dr. Cullen asked. He simpered and smiled, trying to dazzle her and the Chief. Like Charlie'd fall for that.

"Bella," I corrected, looking the douche-sire in the eye.

"What?" Dr. Cullen asked, eyeing me with same disdain his wife showed.

"She prefers to be called Bella. Something your son never seemed to get right. And she didn't misconstrue his intentions. She sent me a text begging me to come help her because he was scaring the hell out of her."

"We don't need that kind of language, Jake." Charlie gave me a warning look.

I got it. I wasn't going to help if I acted like a douche-bag. I'd already beat the fucker up and I wasn't in cuffs. I needed to not push my luck any more.

"Sorry, sir," I said to Charlie and then forced my eyes to the Doctor and tried to be a little contrite. I took all my fucking strength to do it, but he nodded at me, accepting my tiny offering.

"Is it true you hit Edward, Bella?" Charlie asked and Mrs. Cullen gasped.

"Yes," Bella whispered. "He'd pushed me against my truck and tried to kiss me. When I refused, he tried to force me to go with him."

"Well you're dating and I've seen you two kiss. It was never unwanted," douche-mom stated. The muscle in Charlie's jaw flexed at that revelation. "Why would that cause you to strike my son?"

"We broke up last night. Well, I broke things off with him. He was trying to convince me to come to your house to discuss that. I didn't want to go and he kept insisting. He tried to drag me to his car. That's when I hit him." Her voice was soft, but firm and clear. Charlie nodded as he wrote down the details on his pocket notepad.

"So when did _you_ feel the need to beat my son to a bloody pulp?" Dr. Douche asked me. His tone was harsh, but I could tell by the look in his eye when he glanced over the patrol car, where Edward sat watching us, that he was worried about what Bella had just revealed. I had to be smart about this and make sure I didn't have to sit in that car with him.

"When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw him slap her with my own eyes."

"And that is what provoked you to beat him almost to a concussion?" Dr. Cullen asked.

"It wasn't my intention to give him a concussion, _sir_. I saw him hit my friend, who is a woman. A small woman at that. I was taught that you don't treat women like that and I was also taught to protect people from bullies. That is what I did and that was my _only_ intention." I held his stare with a steely gaze and he shifted a little on his feet. Charlie coughed and then cleared his throat.

"Now, while I agree that Jake may have used excessive force, I can't believe that you are about to make some excuse for your son striking a young lady—who just so happens to be my daughter as well. In fact, you may want to look at her swollen knuckles just to make sure she didn't break nothin'." There was an intense staring match between the fathers that could only be described as uncomfortable.

"Fuck! What'd he do?" All heads turned to take in an absolutely huge blonde man who looked like he came straight off the O-line of the Chicago Bears. Behind him was a woman that looked like she was straight out of a Victoria's Secret Lingerie magazine. Not that I would know. It was Quil's magazine and he showed it to me.

"Emmett!" Mrs. Douche screeched. "Language!"

"Who are you?" Charlie asked, in his police-officer voice.

"Emmett, what are you doing here?" Dr. Douche sounded tired.

"I'm Emmett Cullen, Dr. Cullen's son and Edward's half-brother, sir." He addressed Charlie, which was the right thing to do. "I've been worried about my brother's excessive attention to your daughter for a few weeks. I've been trying to talk to him at home, but he just wouldn't listen. He has had a terrible habit of following her after she's left our house and I heard her break up with him, sir. He was incredibly upset. I kinda felt sorry for the little bugger; he really likes Bella. When he didn't come home from school, I got a little worried so we headed over here to try to find him."

"He's been following her?" Charlie asked. My blood boiled listening to Emmett describe Edward's behavior, but I was grateful for the Emmett guy for trying. Bella looked at Emmett and back up at me.

"I didn't believe Emmett when he first said something. I didn't make sense to me. But then Edward said that he followed me last night to your house. Emmett tried to warn me a few weeks ago that Edward was a little…creepy." Bella leaned further into my side, her arms wrapping around my waist. Momma-douchebag took note and frowned.

"My son is _not_ creepy," Mrs. Cullen cried out.

"Yes, he is. And I've been trying to tell you this for years," Emmett said.

"You think a degree in psychology makes you an expert?" she continued on.

"Actually, it does," The tall blonde woman said to Mrs. Douche. "He's a board certified psychologist and _your_ son has some serious issues that if you don't get him some help for, is going to wind him up in jail as a stalker or a sex offender. Trust me, I know the type. You get him some help now, and you'll be doing the world a favor. You continue down this road of denial and you'll end up being very sorry."

"Who do you think you are?" Mrs. Cullen started. "We don't _know_ that Edward struck her…all we have is the word of some fickle girl and this…this Neanderthal who can't keep his hands off my son's girlfriend."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Bella argued. "You're just as bad as he is! I broke up with him because he refused to give credit to anything I said. I'm not dumb or stupid. My feelings are valid. And I don't lie. Edward refused to believe what I told him."

She pulled away from me and stuck out her wrists where the purple blotches bloomed out her pale and ivory skin. "He restrained me, tried to kiss me, and when I refused, he tried to force me into his car. I was told _never_ to get into a car with an attacker which is exactly what Edward had become. That is when I did the only thing I could think of, and I punched him. He. Wouldn't. Listen. To. Reason. That's when he slapped me." She was emphatic and stern, but in control despite her panting breaths. I was proud of her for standing up to Edward and his mother.

"Esme," Dr. Cullen interjected, "now is not the time or place. And I think Rosalie has a point. I believe that Bella's friend was protecting her, even if Edward was hurt. He _did_ strike her and, looking at the contusions on her wrists, he retrained her rather tightly. Let's just take him home and talk about this there."

"I'm going to have to take him down to the station," Charlie said, eyeing the Cullens. I was about to come unglued at the idea of Edward just being carted home.

"Is that really necessary?" Esme asked, the pitch of her voice rising to hysterical.

"Yes, and Bella is going to go to the hospital where her injuries can be cataloged by an _impartial_ , trained professional," Charlie added. Dr. Cullen looked very uncomfortable.

"And what about Edward's injuries? Shouldn't they be catalogued?" Mrs. Cullen demanded, looking at me. I saw the muscle flex in Charlie's neck. He was close to losing it. Seeing him work to control his anger helped me control mine. Knowing he was just as indignant as I was meant I didn't have to show it so much.

Charlie's tone was tight and controlled. "Jake will do exactly what he's told because he is a good, upstanding young man and never given me cause to think otherwise and I've known him his whole life. If you would like to catalogue your son's injuries, we can do that at the station. I'll even let Dr. Cullen here do it, if that makes you feel better, Mrs. Cullen. Jake," his eyes kept on Mrs. Douchebag as he spoke to me, "take Bella to the hospital, please. I've already called Dr. Gerandy. He'll be expectin' you."

"Right," I said, pulling her back into my side. "Let's go, Bells." With my chest puffed out in pride and filled with Charlie's compliments, I didn't even feel the need to scowl at Douche-family Cullen. I walked Bella to my car and opened the car door for her.

"Wait," a voice called. Bella and I both turned toward the built blonde woman who Dr. Cullen had called Rosalie. "Do you mind if Emmett and I come with you?"

I looked over at Bella. It was her call.

"I don't mind at all," Bella half-smiled. "In fact, I'd appreciate it." I didn't know why she wanted them to come along, but if it made her feel better about this whole clusterfuck, I was all for it.

"We'll meet you there," Emmett boomed with a smile.

I think I was going to like that guy.

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 **Thoughts?**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey guys! It's been a week already. And I'm a blonde again. It's been an eventful day.**

 **Here's your chapter!**

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I let the hot water run down until it went cold. The weight of what had happened this afternoon was finally hitting me all at once. Edward hit me. He hit me because he didn't like what I had to say or because I had dumped him. He was going to kidnap me. Who knows what could have happened?

"Bella?" Jake's voice came from the other side of the door. I couldn't answer him. I realized I was in a ball on the floor of the tub. And I couldn't move. I was terrified. What if I had gotten in the car with him? What if Jake had been thirty seconds later? "Bella, you're scaring me. You've been in there for over an hour." He knocked harder and I heard the door knob turn. I let a sob.

"Bells?" He must have heard my teeth chattering, because I don't think he would have looked behind the curtain had he not been extremely worried. "Bella!" he cried and shut the water off. He grabbed a towel and covered my naked body. "Shit, Bella. Your lips are blue."

"Jakkke," I sobbed out. "I'mmmm sssso sorry. You ttttried ttto tttell mmme," my chattering teeth made it hard to talk.

"Shhhh, Bells. Shhhh. I'm sorry I didn't get there earlier. I left as soon as I got your text. I'm sorry." He picked me up out of the tub, which didn't even seem like an effort for him.

"Wwwhat are yyyyou sssssorry fffffor?" He was crazy. I'm the one who over reacted. I'm the one who shut him out for a week. And he still came to rescue me. I knew he would. Edward just didn't understand the depth of our friendship.

Neither did I, it seemed.

I looked up into his face as he carried me into my room. He was so strong and gentle at the same time. He loved me. That's what Leah had said. Could it be true? I couldn't see any reason why she would lie about that. I was so confused after he rejected me last night. But the sleepless night I spent reevaluating every conversation we'd had since I started dating Edward told me he was just hurt. I'd hurt him.

And he rescued me anyway.

"For being so mean last night. For pushing you away." He sat us down on my bed and pulled my towel tighter around me, tucking it in so I would feel more comfortable. I shivered, though. I was so cold. "Bells, we gotta get you warm." He moved to put me down but I threw my arms around his neck.

"No! Don't leave me." It wasn't rational, but the thought of him putting me down and letting me go…I couldn't stand it.

"Bella, you have to put some clothes on. You need to get warm." He adjusted the towel which had shifted when I hugged him close. "But more importantly, if Charlie comes home and sees me holding his naked daughter, I'll be sitting in a cell with Edward." The mention of his name made me shiver again. What had I almost gotten myself into? "Bella, please." His voice was pleading and I knew he was right.

"Okay," I conceded. I pulled back and wrapped my arms around my middle. "But will you stay after I change? I just feel…safe when you're with me." I bit my lip and lowered my eyes at the confession. "And I need to feel…I need…"

"Bells," he whispered and lifted my chin with his finger, "I'll always be here for you." I nodded, but lowered my eyes again. "I'm going to go get a towel for your hair. You get some warm clothes on and then I'll cuddle the warmth back into you, okay?" The thought of his arms wrapped around me woke up the butterflies in my stomach and a little bit of warmth seeped through my veins.

My bedroom door shut quietly with a click and I pulled my stiff bones up off the bed. I stood there wrapped in only a towel and shivering. The impact of what had happened began to ebb as Jake's warmth and love comforted me. I still felt the tingle of his fingers as he'd lifted my chin. "Come on, Swan. Pull it together." I shook myself a little bit. "Do not give Edward this power." I pulled out my favorite sweat pants that were so faded, the pink looked like dingy white. The elastic in one of the ankles was stretched out and there was a hole in the upper thigh.

I found my favorite t-shirt, which just happened to be one of Jake's cast-offs from junior high, and pulled a sweatshirt over my head, too. Jake's soft knock came as I was pulling the warmest pair of wool socks I owned on to my feet. The bed dipped as he sat beside me and patted my thick locks with a fluffy towel.

He was so gentle. He was so kind. And he loved me. He told me. Leah told me. Quil hinted at it. Charlie suspected. How could I have not seen it? How could I have not felt it? Well, I did feel it, I just didn't recognize it. Maybe I fell for Edward because it was different from Jake…and what I had with Jake was real all along.

"Bells, tell me what you're thinking. You're scaring me a little bit," he said dropping the towel on the floor. I leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around me.

I sighed, melting a little as I sunk into his arms. "How stupid I am for falling for it. For not seeing…" I trailed off, but I looked up into his eyes. "For not seeing you." Jake's eyes panned between mine. He smiled as he cupped face, running his thumb over my bottom lip. I think he wanted to kiss me.

But he didn't.

Instead, he pulled me close and laid us both back. I curled in a ball and spooned behind me. I felt warm and safe for the first time in a long time. I'd missed him so much. As infatuated as I had been with Edward, Edward never made me feel this safe. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Edward always made me feel unsure of myself.

"Jake? What are you thinking?" His arms tightened around me and I think I felt a tear drop fall on my neck. He sniffled, confirming my suspicion and he pulled me tighter to his chest.

"How I failed you. I've waited so long to hear you say that, and I heard it on the day that I failed you. I'm so sorry, Bella," his voice was horse with emotion and his great body shook with a sob. God! He blamed himself! I had to stop that. I spun around so that I was facing him and placed my hand on his wet cheek.

"Jake, you stop that! You saved me. He was going to take me somewhere. I knew something was terribly wrong when he cornered me in the parking lot. You were the first person I could think of to call. I knew you'd be coming to Forks today for your dad's meds. I banked on it. I prayed you'd skipped your last class. Even though we'd been fighting and even after I left you for a douche and you pushed me away last night, I _knew_ you would come for me. And you did."

I ran my finger over his puckered brow trying to smooth the worry away. "I knew you'd call Charlie, too. I didn't call him first, because I had a better chance of getting a hold of you. But I knew you'd get to him, too. I _knew_ it Jacob. You are not to blame. You're my hero. You're my savior." I let out a sob, but it wasn't from fear or grief like my earlier crying. This was a sob of relief from a realization of knowledge buried so deep in my soul that it surprised me as it surfaced. It took my breath away.

"And, I think…well,I know I love you…but I think this…this whole stupid stinking mess made me realize…that maybe I'm _in_ love with you. And I was just too stupid to understand what that meant or what that felt like. But I know now, Jacob. I know because of you. You rescued me."

I hoped the weight and meaning of what I was saying was conveyed in both my voice and expression. His face softened at my words and another tear rolled down his high, proud cheek.

"Bells," he whispered, "I'm so sorry about…you know…Leah…and…" his brow puckered again as he trailed off.

"Shhhh, Jake, it's okay. She explained everything to me. I'm sorry my head was up my ass," I said and he laughed.

"Those are her words, huh?" he smiled. "I just couldn't take hearing about how good _he_ was any more. I couldn't bear the thought of you doing things with him…" He ran a finger down my jawline. "Then Leah kinda accosted me one night and I was so angry I just didn't stop it."

"So doing things with Leah made you feel better?" I grinned so he knew I was kidding.

"Noooo!" he groaned and his face fell into the curve at the base of my neck. "It made everything worse! When I refused to have sex with her she was so hurt. You told me I was going to hurt her and I kept trying to convince myself that I was helping her."

"Leah says that it _was_ helping her. She didn't realize how much it would hurt, either."

"But I don't want you to be disappointed in me, Bells." He whispered it like a secret. His face was still buried in my neck. And it felt good. In a couple of ways.

"I'm not. I won't deny," my voice trembled when he sucked in some air. But then he pulled back to look at me, "that I get angry every time I think about seeing her ass and what transpired before that," I shuddered. "But, that's the anger that made me stop and think about who you were to me. And when Edward tried to get me to quit talking to you all together…well I couldn't even imagine it. And that made me angrier than the thought of you with Leah."

"I don't want you to see him again. Ever." His voice was firm but his gentle fingers tucked some hair behind my ear. His fingers trailed along my jawline again. God, that felt so good. And set the butterfly storm loose _again_. Jake's plea that I not see Edward again was different than when Edward has suggested I quit seeing Jake and I couldn't figure out why.

"Do you want me to quit being friends with Leah? We quit doing all the other stuff." His eyes searched mine. "But if you want me to quit associating with her, I will. If that's what you want."

"No," I stated firmly. "She needs someone and coming to me like she did, well, that just showed what a good person she is. She's just so hurt. And even though she's so hurt that she came to tell the Ice Queen that the guy she's hooking up with, is in love with the icy bitch, well…that's the kind of friend I want to have."

"Oh, shit," Jake chuckled. "You know about that?"

"What? That she calls me the Ice Queen? Yeah, Embry told me."

"That fucker!"

"Don't worry about it. I didn't even believe him until Leah came to see me. He was trying to tell me about you in his own way, too, so it's okay."

"Being a Fucktard is never okay," Jake said. I giggled but his expression turned serious and it brought me back. "Are you okay?" I thought about it carefully before answering him. Lying here next to him, wrapped in his arms and having declared my love for him...

"Yeah, I'm so okay. You make things better than okay." His eyes darted to my lips. I knew what that look meant now. And my mind replayed all the times he'd done it in the past and I just hadn't seen it. "Are you okay?" He didn't answer verbally. He leaned in slowly.

He placed his finger on my bottom lip, pulling out of my teeth. His hot breath washed over my face and his hand moved down to my waist, pulling me closer. When he got so close my eyes crossed I closed them and waited. Time slowed down and when his lips finally touched mine, I sucked in a hitching breath.

His lips were warm and soft and gentle. He pulled me in and rolled over onto me a little it while his hand slid back up my side to cup my face. Sweet gentle swipes of his lips were loving and sensual all at once. He pulled back just a little and rested his forehead on mine.

"Yeah, Bells. I'm great."

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 **So?**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Sorry for the delay this week, kids. I was in California for a conference and I WENT TO HARRY POTTER WORLD! I also saw some good friends, ate some great food, and learned how to teach other teacher to be better teachers, thus making myself a better teacher. It was a full and fun weekend with no time (or laptop) to post chapters of fanfiction. But I'm back at home with this chapter finalized**

 **MarinaNamaste is my beta. I love her work (her current story is Runaways) because she is so detailed and we actually feel like we're in her stories. She helps me so much. Most of her suggestions in my stories are the little lines that give us those details. I'm grateful for her input and help. I am and AVID fan of hers. (See what I did there-back at 'cha, M.) And I get to meet her in 10 weeks! (That's a rough guesstaimate, M.)**

 **So here we go.**

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Why was I so fucking nervous? I'd been to this house a million times before. It was my second home. I'd showered there, slept there, spent Christmases and most other holidays there. I'd kissed Bella in that house. Last night! So why was I so fucking nervous?

Oh yeah. It was our first date.

Charlie had caught me coming down the stairs after Bella had finally fallen asleep last night. Bella and I'd kissed for a while. A _long_ while. But I could she was tired and wanted to sleep. I couldn't go to sleep. So much had happened and I finally had Bella in my arms.

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I crept down the stairs, intentionally stepping on the squeaky step, third from the top, so Charlie would know I was there. He'd be trigger happy for a while and I didn't want to be shot. I made my presence known, but he was sitting in his recliner staring at the empty fireplace. I stood there for a few beats trying to decide if I should say something.

"What kind of father," he said much too softly, but angry, "doesn't see that kind of freak for what he is? I'm the chief of police, for hell's sake!" He didn't look up. He just sat there looking into the dark, cold fireplace. "She told me yesterday. She told me everything, every stupid, crazy, manipulative thing he did yesterday. And I sent her over there like a lamb to the slaughter."

"To break up with him. You sent her over there to end things. You helped her realize that." I crossed into the room and sat in the recliner opposite him.

"But why did it have to get that bad? Why didn't I see it before? Why did it take her so long to come to me?"

"Charlie, who'd she call yesterday to figure all this out?" I asked. He took a deep breath. "It's wasn't me. She told me that she called _you_." I could feel his despair, and I didn't know how to help him and I knew exactly how he felt. But like Bella helped me feel a little better, I had to help him.

"Why'd she call you first when she knew he was trouble _today_?" He finally looked up at me and I knew the answer to this one.

"Because she knew with you at work, there'd be a better chance of getting a hold of me right away and she also knew I'd be in town to pick up Billy's meds." I hadn't picked up the meds. I ran my hands through my hair for the eight hundredth time that day. "SHIT!" I hopped up and started pacing back and forth.

"Don't worry, son. Embry came up and got them. I called him when you took her to the hospital." Even on his worst day, he was at the top of his game.

"Good," I breathed out, "thanks." I sat back down again.

He looked at me with a very calculated glare. "You were jealous?"

Fuck. Talk about turn of direction. I better just tell him if we were going to be a thing anyway. And we _so_ were. I wasn't letting her go now. Not after waiting for so long.

"Yeah, well, it's no secret I've been in love with Bella for, like, ever, right?" I thought I'd just lay it all out. Charlie chuckled. I took that as a good sign. "I was just too chicken shit to tell her. Then the Douche-tard comes along and I lost my chance."

"Looks like you were making your feelings known earlier," Charlie said, raising and eyebrow.

Shit.

"Ahh…" I hadn't know what he'd seen, so I didn't know how to defend myself. I hadn't even heard him come home.

"Quit looking so worried. I caught the tail end of your conversation and I left before you finally kissed her." I looked up and saw the smirk under his mustache. "Took you long enough."

Was he talking about the time it took me to finally kiss her or how long I was up there kissing her? I still didn't know what to say.

"You gonna take her on a proper date now?" Good. I could answer this.

"Well, yeah." We dated all the fucking time. Bella just didn't know it. "So, you're okay with this?" I really hadn't quite figured out how I was going to approach Charlie with all this. No matter how many fantasies I had about putting the moves on Bella, I'd never quite figured out how to handle the Charlie bit.

"If you're datin' her proper and not sneakin' behind my back I'm just fine with it," he said, eyeing me. That was a relief. "Or running around with the Clearwater girl."

Fuuuuuuuuck!

"How'd you…" Again I was at a loss.

"Harry's my best friend, Jake." He gave me a meaningful look. I didn't realize that Harry knew anything was going on between Leah and me. "And Bella told me last night. You done with that?" I nodded. "You sure?"

"Yeah! Leah knows how I feel about Bella and she's the one who finally told Bella anyways," I declared. I sounded a little too defensive.

"And you were going to tell me, right? About dating my daughter?" I was convinced he was trying to kill me.

"I would've…" I didn't finish the sentence because I didn't know how to finish it. The air was uncomfortable until I saw his mustache

"I know. I dated once, too. The whole meet-the-parent things is completely nerve-wracking. I can't imagine trying to tell someone who changed your diapers that you wanted to get into his daughter's diapers."

"Charlie!" I exclaimed. Did he _really_ just say that?

"What? I am a man, Jake. Which means I was your age once." I didn't even want to know what that meant. It looked like that he was just as uncomfortable. So, with a promise that we'd be smart and responsible, Charlie said I could come pick Bella up for a real date tonight.

* * *

So here I sat, in the fucking driveway too fucking nervous to go up to the fucking door. My phone buzzed.

 _What the heck are you doing? Get your butt up on the porch._

Bella using her version of profanity; now that was funny. It was just enough to break the silent tension in the car.

 _Listenin 2 the end of a gd song_

I totally lied. But I didn't want her to think I was afraid to take her out.

 _Liar._

I was on the porch when her last text came in. I smiled down at my phone before I shoved it back into my pocket. I knocked on the door. It opened with Charlie holding his rifle in one hand and a cleaning rag in the other.

"'Bout time. You're late." He stepped aside and I followed him into the dining room. "I expect I won't ever come home and find you tucked away in bed with her again. That," he pointed at me and then to the stairs, "last night was a very special occasion. Am I right?" He'd set it rifle down and was now inspecting his pistol. I was about to answer when Bella interrupted.

"Dad, leave him alone." She came around the corner and saw what he was doing. "Are you freakin' kidding me? You're cleaning your guns? Dad! This. Is. Jake!"

"Oh, I know who it is." I held my tongue. I didn't know how much he knew about the Leah thing. "And the last time I didn't pull this routine…well…"

"We're going now," Bella said, grabbing my hand and leading me to the front door. "And all those guns better be put away when we get home before my curfew. But I'm going to kiss him good night, so you better not be watching."

"MIDNIGHT!" Charlie called as Bella closed the door. Our feet clomped across the porch as the cold air hit my face. The pine scent mixed with Bella's perfume soothed me a little.

"Honestly, it's not like he hasn't known you for, like, your whole life." She was mumbling as she marched down the stairs and slipped on the last step. I caught her just in time and breathed some more of her in.

"Bells! Fuckin' watch where you're walking!" I breathed out in relief.

"You're always saving me," she smiled back up at me. I guess I was. But she saved me, too. Every day.

"You just saved me from your dad," I retorted. "What the fuck was that?" I put back on her feet, but kept my hand around her waist in case she tripped again.

"He's scared I'm gonna get pregnant," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What?" I coughed. We'd only just kissed. Not that I hadn't dreamed about doing the things to her that would get her pregnant a million times. Not that my pants didn't tighten at the memory of thinking those things. But reality and fantasy were two different things and my reality and fantasies hadn't merged…yet. I was hopeful. But I didn't think it'd be too soon.

"He tried to give me the whole, 'sex is a serious thing, Bella. There are tons of ways to _not_ get pregnant' speech. Like Renee didn't cover this when I was about ten and she wanted me to like some kid in my class."

"Wait, Renee wanted you dating when you were ten?" That shocked me more than the conversation with Charlie. He'd tried to give me the same one last night.

"You have no idea," Bella mumbled getting into the car. I closed the door behind her and went around to get in on my side. I looked up at the house and Charlie was nodding and smiling at me from the front window. I guess I had done _something_ right.

"Then, when I moved up here," Bella continued on while we both fastened our seatbelts, "she forced me to start on birth control. Like _forced_ me. I was fourteen, Jake! She said 'I know how boy crazy you'll become in the next few years and I don't want you making my mistakes.' No wonder I'm so fucked up, Jake." She was doing her ranting, babbling thing. I just listened to her. She'd come to her conclusion when she was done.

"She was always looking for the next-best-thing, you know. She never recognized what she had. Ever. How can you enjoy what you have if you're always looking for something better? Huh?" She looked over at me with those big brown eyes. She was still apologizing and trying to tell me what had caused her to overlook me. But she was also explaining the source of her deepest pain. This conversation wasn't about birth control at all, though she'd told me in a roundabout way that she was on it. For the past four years.

"Bells," I said, "you were so _not_ a mistake. Renee was careless when she said it, but I don't think she meant it that way. And Charlie," I pointed to the window where he was still peering out, "would never even think it in a million years." Tears shone in her big browns as she grabbed my hand.

"You pulled _that_ from all the startling crap I just said?" she said, amazement in her eyes.

"I know you." I left the rest hang in the air.

"And you still love me?" she asked in almost a whisper.

"Just the way you are," I smiled. It was so cheesy, but her bottom lip trembled. I needed her to stop that. So I kissed it.

My fingers tilted her chin up so my lips could meet hers. They were warm and soft and she returned my fervor. I felt her tongue on my bottom lip and it surprised me a little. I liked her forwardness. I guessed I liked aggressive women. Our tongues tangled for a few moments before I remembered that Charlie was probably still watching. I pulled back and she gasped.

"Bells, we gotta go. I don't want Charlie to shoot me in his driveway before we even get on our first date." She chuckled and gave me a quick peck.

"Okay," she agreed, "where are we going, anyway?"

"I thought dinner and a movie." I glanced over to see her reaction.

"Sounds good," she smiled. It was like hundreds of other nights we'd shared except this time I'd get to hold her hand _and_ kiss her. She tasted so good.

"You got any suggestions for movies?" Bella liked action flicks, which I loved so much. She wasn't a typical chick. She was wonderful.

"I don't care," she said, smirking at me, sliding her hand up higher on my thigh. She smirked at me and moved her hand a little higher as she dipped it in towards the seat. She was an inch from my rock hard dick. "I don't plan on watching much of it?"

Fuck!

* * *

 **A/N: Next chapter gives us a little info on Eddie's crazy. :)**

 **So?**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: So life happened and I didn't get to update last week. Sorry. We are winding down, but I have some loose ends to tie up. Let me know if I haven't answered all the questions I raised.**

 **If you're looking for more hot Jake/Bella action, MarinaNamaste is my awesome beta whose story _Runaways_ is really heating up. Check it out.**

* * *

"This is better than the movies?" he breathed into my neck. I just grunted as his fingers played with the hem of my shirt. "Why, Bella?" He had me flat on my back in his bed, his hips moved deliciously against mine as he lay on top of my body. .

It was so hot.

"Because I wouldn't let you do this in public," I panted. I didn't stop the upward movement of his hands as they teased and tickled their way up my stomach. His lips nipped and sucked at my neck as my own hands pulled at his t-shirt. I wanted to feel is skin. He obliged me with no argument. He smirked as he sat up, looking at me spread in front of him, and pulled the tee over his head.

"Damn, you're beautiful," I said, watching his muscles bunch and contract as he bent back over me. He kissed my lips and I opened for his plundering tongue.

"Aw, I've—" kiss, "moved up—" kiss, "from just _sort of_ beautiful?" He kissed me again through my smile, his lips smacking against my teeth. His hands went back under the fabric of my shirt, his thumbs drawing circles higher and higher up my chest. Why didn't he touch me already? Okay, he was touching me…but where I wanted him to?

"You know you're beautiful." I was panting again.

"But it's about time _you_ notice _and_ appreciate it." His hips were back at work.

"Oh, I'm appreciating it," I moaned. His thumbs flicked over my nipples. It was about time.

"I like this better than the movies, too." I raised my arms so he could pull my shirt over my head.

Our first date was dinner and a movie in Port Angeles. Dinner was spent canoodling on the same side of a booth in a dark corner of a little, local restaurant. Hand holding and sweet kisses accompanied dessert. Neither of us remember the movie which was spent exploring each other's faces and necks with our mouths. Jake really likes his earlobes bitten—with teeth—and I love my neck nibbled just below my ear.

But I wouldn't let him touch me anywhere else. Not in public. So his suggestion for tonight was dinner at his house while his dad ate at the Clearwater's. It'd been almost a week since that first date. We'd seen each other almost every day since then, but this was the first opportunity we'd had to do anything other than a relatively short goodbye kiss.

And we hadn't eaten any food yet.

"Bella! Where'd you get this bra?" His voice was husky and impressed.

"My mom buys me this stuff all the time for me. It's the first time I've ever worn it." I looked down, suddenly self-conscience. "Why? Don't you like it?" It wasn't even lacy. It was red and sheer and really didn't hide anything.

" _Like_ is an extreme understatement," he said, lowering his head to my chest. His lips wrapped around my nipple through the thin fabric and I could feel the wetness of his tongue as he laved across it.

"God, Jake!" I whimpered. It felt so good. My hips bucked up into him and the levi-lovin' commenced in earnest. His lips were back at my favorite spot on my neck and his fingers were teasing and pulling at my breasts. Meanwhile, my hands explored the muscled planes of his back and ass. I let my legs fall open wider, hoping to put pressure where it'd feel the best.

"Bells, you have no idea," he panted, "how long," his lips moved back up to my lips, "I've waited…" I didn't let him finish. I kept his mouth busy for the next immeasurable bit of time.

"Jake!" We both heard the front door slam shut.

He was off me faster than was humanly possible. He threw my shirt at me, which I surprisingly caught, and put back on as quickly as possible.

"What dad?" Jake said walking to his bedroom door. He was still shirtless. Damn, he was hot. I'd known it all along, but I still couldn't figure out why I was in denial for so long.

"You two better get your butts out here. Charlie is on his way down here. He's got some stuff to go over and it can't wait." There was a warning in Billy's voice, so I got up off the bed and joined Jake in the doorway of his room. Billy'd wheeled all the way down the hallway. He looked up at me with an amused expression.

"You better turn that shirt right side out, too," Billy said as he smirked. I looked down and the logo of my shirt was backwards and indeed on the wrong side of the fabric. I felt the blush creep up my neck. I was mortified. "I'll just roll myself back in there."

Shoot! We were so caught. I looked up at Jake who just looked proud. "What?" I asked him in a hushed whisper. "Aren't you embarrassed at all?" He was the reason I was half clad anyway.

"Nope," he said, popping the "p". Okay, I'd encouraged him to take my shirt off. But it still wasn't something I wanted his dad to know about. Billy. My dad's best friend. "You better fix it." He just stood there, staring at me.

"What, with you watching?" I whispered, incredulously.

"Bells, I just tasted them. I've already seen them under that stuff most people wouldn't even call fabric." It was the truth, but there was something different about me changing in front of him. Without his lips in the action. At least in my mind. At that time. I turned around and pulled my shirt over my head, turning it the right side out, and then putting it back on. "You're hair's a little messy, too," he commented.

"Screw you!" I said, more than a little perturbed.

"I would have if my dad wouldn't have come home," he smirked as he tried to pull me closer. Somehow I resisted and huffed my displeasure as I opened his closet door to check the mirror—effectively shoving the door in his face.

Jake pulled the door back, just in time to catch one last glimpse of that red bra he seemed to like so much. His eyes darted to my chest and then to my eyes. He sighed when he caught the way my brows were still pulled together in irritation. I think he finally got it by the contrite look on his face.

"Bells, I'm not making fun of you!" he whispered, running his finger along my jawline. "I just don't want Charlie to shoot me," he explained. I couldn't blame him and my lip curled up in an involuntary smile. Charlie had been a little over protective since Emmett showed him what Edward had "prepared" for me back at his house the day he tried to kidnap me.

While Rose did follow me to the hospital, Emmett decided to show my dad what he'd actually found in Edward's room and it was quite disturbing. Emmett was afraid that Edward's mom would hide the majority of the evidence and he really wanted his brother to get some help. But cataloging it all had made Charlie more than a little crazy about letting me date again. Even though he's the one who basically forced Jake to take me out the very next night. Then again, it was while we were gone on that date that Charlie sorted through all the stuff.

I ran my fingers through my hair and quickly wound it into a loose braid to tame it a little. I'd just finished and sat myself on the couch when Charlie came in the front door. His eyes were frantic and I was never happier that Jake was in the kitchen stuffing his face—with a shirt on—than I was right then.

"Bella, we need to go over some things before you talk to the independent officer tomorrow. They're going to pull you from class and speak with you in the counselor's office."

"Well, hello, Charlie," Billy called from his chair as my dad sat down next to me.

"Hush, Billy," Charlie gruffed. "In fact, can you leave us be for a few moments? I need to ask Bella some, umm…" he cleared his throat, "personal questions." The look on his face was ominous. It was a mixture of fear, pain, and dread.

"It's okay, dad. They can stay." I'd rather Jake know everything because it saved me from having to rehash everything later.

"Bella, I don't think that's a good idea. I have to ask you about things you and Edward may have," he cleared his throat again, "done together. You know…intimately."

"Then I'll make it easy for you," I declared. "We kissed and that was it. Sometimes the kissing went on for a while, but he never touched me anywhere other than my hands and face." I wanted this to be completely clear to everyone in the room. Especially Jake.

"So you and he never, you know, had sex?" Charlie asked.

"No!" I shrieked. I was mortified. But at the same time I was suspicious. Charlie wouldn't be asking me this unless he _had_ to. He'd tried to give me _the talk_ before my date with Jake, but that's because he thought I needed it then.

"Why? What's happened?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Charlie's eyes panned mine, assessing the truthfulness of my declarations. He always knew when I was lying. Always. Sometimes I could squeak by with half-truths, or little omissions of facts, but out right lying to my dad was impossible for me.

"He's saying that all the things we found that night were purchased not only with your consent, but by your _request_." The vein in his forehead throbbed. "And that the pictures on his computer were part of a role playing game _you_ initiated. He claims it was an ongoing activity you and he had begun several weeks before and you were becoming more and more adventurous and he was just trying to please you." His eyes still panning mine I just shook my head. I didn't even have to energy to be shocked or upset. It just made me sad.

Apparently there was photographic evidence on Edward's computer of all the times he'd followed me. Charlie and Emmett had found his room decked out in an elaborate scene where he'd planned to seduce me. He'd laid out strawberries, champagne, chocolate and a negligée for me to wear. There were also restraints found in a hidden drawer under his bed, presumably in case I'd resisted. Which I would have. Despite how quickly things had progressed with Jake, I wasn't ready for that with Edward.

"I don't even know what to say to that, dad. No. I did not request it. We have never done anything more than kiss." I didn't even glance up at Jake. We'd been much more intimate in his bedroom just a few minutes before. But I'd never done those things with Edward. I'd never done those things with anyone. And my father believed me. I could see it.

"I hate to ask this of you Bells, but can we have your phone? I hate to ask because you shouldn't have to be the one who defends yourself. But if the tech guys can prove that your texts show nothing about what he's claiming, then it's a slam dunk. He'll have to be committed to the facility."

I knew that Dr. Cullen believed Emmett, especially after finding the things in Edward's room. But Edward's mother was in complete denial. She must be the one demanding the proof.

"Sure, dad. Do what you have to do," I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I handed it to him without a second thought. I didn't have anything to hide.

"Won't he just claim she deleted the messages? Or you did?" Billy asked, watching the whole episode.

"Nothing is ever truly deleted from a device," Jake said in a very authoritative tone. "There are computer programs to recover things that have been deleted by other programs _designed_ to permanently erase the worst of the worst. Most state law enforcement agencies have access to the former." Everyone was looking at him like he was crazy. "What?" He shrugged and looked a little offended. "We learned that in our criminal law program at school."

"Bella, I won't see anything unless there's something pertinent to this case," Charlie said.

"It doesn't matter, Dad. I've got nothing to hide. Jake swears a lot in this texts, but that's about all you'll find. Edward doesn't even text that much."

"Okay then, Bells." He smiled at me. "I sure am sorry about this. But it helps that you're so open about this."

"Just wrap this up. I'm tired of the whole stupid thing," I whispered.

"Okay, baby, okay," Charlie said and pulled me into a hug. "You stay here with Jake and Billy until this lunatic is locked up tight. Okay? I gotta get back to the station with all the paperwork from that three car accident. Sorry." I nodded into his chest. Tears I didn't summon rolled down my cheeks. "Can she stay here tonight? Please? Jake, you can take her to school tomorrow?"

"I'll fucking walk her to all her classes," Jake offered.

"That won't be necessary. I got eyes at the school. But gettin' her there until I got grounds to hold him again. Well, I'd just feel better knowin' she's looked after. I know _you_ can take 'im."

That's when I started laughing. And I couldn't stop. The three men in the room just looked at me as I pulled from Charlie's arms. I know they didn't know what to make of me. And that made me laugh even harder.

"Bells?"

"You okay?"

I laughed even harder. "Yeah," great hiccupping guffaws erupted, "I'm great. But Edward is up a shit creek without a paddle." Jake cocked his head to the side and the corner of his mouth curved up in a wry smile.

"What do you mean?" Billy asked.

"My texts will show all the simpering pleas that asshole sent me since I broke up with him. It will show the texts I sent to Jake begging him to help me because Edward was scaring the crap out of me. It will show all the texts I sent to Renee complaining about how possessive and degrading he was. Take my phone, dad. It's the nail in his coffin. I got a cop for a father and a badass for a best friend who has already beat the shit out of him once. He's the worst kind of stupid because it's mixed with pride and disdain for those he thinks are stupider than him. He's dazzled himself into thinking he's untouchable. Even after an ass kicking. And I find that hilarious."

"Language, Bells," Jake barked with a wide grin.

"Okay, then," Charlie agreed, hiding a smile behind his mustache.

* * *

 **A/N: I cockblocked you. Sorry. Do you want a full lemon?**

 **Let me know.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: So, I just came from the most beautiful wedding of a wonderful young couple. It's scary that my friends have kids getting married, but it was so special to me. It's makes this chapter particularly sweet for me as my two young characters celebrate their young love.**

 **MarinaNamaste is my wonderful beta. She made this better in several places.**

* * *

"Jake! It's beautiful!" I gasped at the beautiful corsage he'd purchased for my wrist. My eyes ran up his purple vest that hugged his muscular physique. Dang, he looked good!

"Not as beautiful as you," he rumbled in my ear as he bent over and placed a tender kiss just below my earlobe. "I can't wait to get you out of that dress." My stomach dropped and my doo dah throbbed with anticipation. Tonight was the night we were going to make love for the first time. As cliché as it was, we'd both decided that Prom would be the day.

"Bells, don't you need a jacket? Or a sweater?" Charlie asked and I rolled my eyes. Jake had finished placing the beautiful lily on my wrist. I heard Jake chuckle. Jake had discussed _part_ of his plans for the night with Charlie who'd been almost unbearably overprotective since Edward was committed to a mental facility the day after I gave my deposition and all the information was extracted from my phone. Charlie didn't want to know the particulars, but Jake told him exactly where we'd be and assured him that no alcohol would be consumed. I can't say that Charlie liked the idea at all, but he did realize that there was really nothing he could do about it. I didn't even have to use my age and independent status as a threat for him to concede.

"Don't be absurd," I smiled at my dad. He was kind of cute. "Would you cover up this fabulousness?" My dress was stunning. Renee had sent me a skimpy frock when she found out that Jake was taking me. But Leah's mom—Leah was my kind of new friend—helped me alter it and add enough fabric to make it wearable. Together, Sue and I made a stunning dress from the piece of purple scrap my mom had sent.

"No, I would not," Charlie admitted. He smiled wistfully at me and, if I wasn't mistaken, his eyes were a bit watery. "Let me take a picture of you two." He fumbled with his phone for a bit as I felt Jake's arms wrap around my waist, pulling me against him. I smiled as his erection pressed into my backside. He was always very eager to show me how I affected him. Charlie snapped a few pictures and reminded me of the boutonniere I still had to pin on Jake.

* * *

"Let's get out of here, pleeeeease?" Jake whined one more time into my ear. He'd basically been begging me to leave since we got there. His hands roamed over my backside, pulling me in again, stressing what he wanted to do once we left.

"I need to see who's crowned Prom Queen. I'm so rooting for Jessica, because Lauren has been so mean to her all week!" I reminded him. He wasn't annoying me. I thought it was kind of cute.

"Bells! You're killing me!" I reached up and pulled his face close to mine. I could feel his hot breath on my cheek as I brought my lips to his ear.

"I promise I'll make it worth your while." I was going for a husky tone and I hoped I didn't sound like a smoker with a two-pack a day habit. "I'll kiss Jake Jr. all better." And then I bit his earlobe.

"Fuuuuuuuck!" he growled into my ear. I guess my husky voice worked. "How much longer? I think I can wait if I know how long."

"Okay ladies and gentlemen!" called Ms. Morning, the senior sponsor. "It's time to announce the Prom Court and royalty!" I spun around to face the stage, but Jake didn't let go of me. My back was pressed up against his front, and he continued to hold me tight against him. I loved it.

"Thank fuck!" Jake sighed. The crowd of kids began to all press in closer together in order to see the stage. Warm, lust filled bodies surging forward. The scent of cheap after shave and smuggled rum sneaked in coat pockets to one side. And on the other side of the couple, and – standing a little too close to Jake than I really liked—I coughed from the layers of choking, syrupy perfume from the mean girls of senior year.

"Yeah, she like, totally ran him and his family off and then jumped into bed with that guy." I recognized the voice from the snarky girl in my anatomy class.

"Didn't they, like, move all the way to California?" I knew Edward's sudden departure from school left many people—silly girls mostly—speculating about what happened between us.

"Or New Mexico. Same difference."

"Who can blame her? Look at him. He's hotter than Edward ever was."

"Whatever," bitter Anatomy girl sneered. "It doesn't matter. I'm just trying to figure out how she gets them to sleep with her?"

"How do you know she is?"

"Puh-lease. Why else would they be with her if she wasn't putting out? She must give good head or something." I gasped. I always tried not to listen, but the things they said were so, mean. I started to shrug into myself.

"Ignore them," Jake whispered into my ear. A blush spread up my chest and bloomed across my cheeks. They made everything seem so cheap and tawdry. I was almost ashamed of what I had just promised to do to Jake.

Almost.

But then I remembered that Jake and I were _in love_. And the things we did, physically, to express that love should not be demeaned because some envious douche-bitches were jealous of me and _my_ man. And, apparently, of my ex who stalked me and planned unspeakable things to do to me… they had no idea. So I had to ignore them.

It wasn't that the gossip bothered me. Well, I guess it did a bit. But, I didn't understand why girls were so willing to rip each other apart over guys they were never even involved with. If they only knew what I'd been through, they wouldn't be so jealous.

"Let's go before I have to hear any more." I tried to pull away and walk towards the door.

"No," Jake said firmly. "We are not going to let them ruin what you had planned. Let's see if Jessica wins and _then_ we'll go." Ms. Morning was announcing all the people nominated to the court like we hadn't been looking at their signs posted around the school for two weeks.

I twisted around to look up at him. He knew me so well. I smiled and he wiped the unshed tear from my eye. "Love you," I said.

"I know." He kissed the tip of my nose. Then he twisted around to the nasty girls. "Why don't you shut the fuck up about things you know nothing about?" The smug look on Anatomy girl's face told me that she didn't mind that I'd heard.

"Why don't you shut up? You don't even go here!" the little blonde girl spat back. And that's when I started to laugh.

It was my new reaction to stressful situations.

"What the fuck?" her friend asked.

"You do realize you just quoted _Mean Girls_ , right? You're a mean girl who just quoted the movie _Mean Girls_. Are you telling me that you didn't even know?" That made me laugh even harder. I didn't stop until I heard Ms. Morning's voice announce the words I'd been waiting to hear. I wiped a laughter tear from my eye.

"And this year's Prom Queen is Jessica Stanley!"

Cheers and hoots filled the dimly lighted gym illuminated by hundreds of twinkle lights. The two mean girls quickly forgot about me and began discussion how Lauren would have been a much better choice and Mike should have asked Lauren to Prom instead of Jessica.

"Good?" Jake said, pulling me in again. My stomach tightened in anticipation.

"Let's go!"

* * *

"What did you do?" I breathed out as I took in the little cabin that Jake had prepared for us. The little two room cabin was comfortably furnished and warmly lit with little lamps on the end tables on both sides of a squashy love seat. A fire glowed in the fireplace, adding a romantic hue. It was perfect.

"It's not much, Bells. It's been in Lahote's family since Taha Aki was a boy. His mom's on a bender in Seattle and he let me borrow it for the weekend." We were just inside the door and I heard it click shut. My stomach flopped again. It was time. Finally.

I turned from the room slowly to face Jake. He was leaning against the door. I watched as his eyes traveled up my body and stop at my boobs. He liked my boobs. He'd spent quite a few hours exploring and mapping the Twin Peaks and I was content to let him. His eyes finally ascended to my face, taking in my lips and then gazing into my eyes.

I'd never felt so desired in all my life.

This hot hunk of sweet and burning love wanted _me_. He always had. I didn't know what good karma I'd earned in this life or the last, but I was certainly going to enjoy it and hope I continued to be worthy of it.

"Come here," I beckoned, crooking my finger. He pushed off the doorframe and sauntered over to me, smirking.

"What?" he breathed warm hot air across my face, but didn't touch me. Damn.

"You know what," I said. I wasn't going to make the first move. I took a step back. He took a step forward. We were inching towards the bed.

"Where're you going?" he asked as I took another step back.

"If you have to ask, you don't know as much as I'd hoped." We'd had a long discussion about how I didn't hold what he'd done with other girls against him. He'd felt so badly. I was just glad I pulled my head out of my butt.

"I know enough," he took another step towards me. "And I always seem to be chasing you." That made me stop. He was right. He was always chasing me.

It was about time I let him catch me.

I took a step closer to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "You got me." I reached up, stretching for a kiss. He smiled down at me. "What are you going to do with me?"

He didn't answer me with words. I yelped as he lifted me up, bridal style, and pressed his lips to mine. He kissed me hard, his warm, soft lips massaging me while he walked us the short distance to our destination. He stood me by the side of the bed and his deft fingers slid my side zipper down and before I knew what was happening the frock fell to the floor.

"Fuck!" he groaned taking in my purple underwear set. It didn't take him long before he had the clasp of my bra undone and he flung the thing across the room. He pushed me back on the bed, where I fell against the fluffy pillows with another yelp. His lips wasted no time finding their favorite place, wrapped around my nipples. I gasped because it was my favorite place, too. Those puckered bits had a direct connection to my doo-dah.

Jake's fingers wasted no time either. He'd shed his jacket, vest and dress shirt in a matter of seconds while my fingers fumbled with his belt buckle. His trousers fell to the floor with a soft thud and that hot man, wearing nothing but some very sexy, black boxer briefs, climbed his way over me. His lips were on my neck, my breasts, and my stomach while his fingers found places no one had ever explored on me.

"Bella, you're so wet," he moaned. "Why didn't we leave earlier?" I couldn't answer through the groan as two of his strong, thick fingers plunged into me and his mouth attached to my clit.

With my fingers tangled in his hair, I pulled his face closer to me. I needed more friction as the coil wound and the tension built within. He was so good at this. We'd been skirting this for weeks, something always stopping our progress. But nothing was going to hinder this climax.

Nothing.

I felt the loss of heat as his mouth left me. His fingers still pumped in and out of me, spiraling me up. His eyes were intense as they watched me writhe beneath his ministrations.

"Cum for me, Bells." I'd decided to give him what he wanted, right? I wasn't going to make him chase me anymore. His wish was my command. "Come on!" He lowered his mouth again and flicked his tongue across my clit before he sucked hard.

I came in a cacophony of hysteric shudders, pants, and moans. I didn't know which way was up or how long he continued to pump at me. I think I came again.

"Oh, Bella!" he whispered in my ear before he kissed me just below it. I didn't know when he'd moved back up to my face.

"I love you, Jake."

"I know," he whispered. "I love you, too."

* * *

 **So there is one more chapter left. Don't know when that's gonna be. But you'll get the notification.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Did I tie up all the loose ends?**


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